Panamanian defender Antony Herbert joins Portuguese club Chaves

Panamanian right-back Antony Herbert is set to play for Portuguese second-division club Grupo Desportivo de Chaves. The club officially confirmed the signing via Instagram, adding the young defender to their main squad for the upcoming 2026/27 season.

Herbert arrives from UB Conquense in Spain. The Portuguese club emphasized that his incorporation aims to bolster the defensive line with "youth, speed, and ambition" as they prepare for the new campaign. Herbert has previously represented Panama in youth categories for the national team.

His arrival comes as Chaves, which previously hosted Cape Verdean national team goalkeeper Vozinha, seeks to strengthen its squad. Vozinha's contract concluded after the 2026 World Cup, and he is currently seeking a new club. Chaves finished the 2025/26 season in ninth place in the Portuguese second division. Their first official match of the new league season is scheduled for August 8, 2026, at home against Académica de Coimbra.

Grupo Desportivo de Chaves boasts a history with 18 seasons in Portugal's Primeira Liga. The club experienced its most successful period in the 1980s and 1990s, reaching the top flight in the 1984-85 season and remaining there for 13 consecutive years. Their best league finish was fifth place in the 1986-87 and 1989-90 seasons, which earned them a spot in the 1987-88 UEFA Cup. After several years in lower divisions, Chaves returned to the Primeira Liga from 2016 to 2019 and most recently played in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons before being relegated again.