 Born in Bissau, Zezinando moved with his parents to Portugal still an infant, and, at the age of 12, he joined Sporting Clube de Portugal's famed youth academy.In the following three years, he would only collect some appearances for the "Lions" during preseason, being successively loaned to clubs in the Lisbon area, appearing in the 2006–07 season in the second division with G.D. Estoril Praia and playing in the third level in the following years.On 26 June 2009, Zezinando underwent a trial at Heart of Midlothian of Scotland alongside compatriot João Moreira.