He tried to enlist with some friends for the team Desportivo de Lourenço de Marques, his favourite team and a [[S.L. Benfica|Benfica]] [[Farm team|feeder team]], also the team where [[Mário Coluna]] had played before his move to Benfica, but was rejected, without even being given a chance to prove his worth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abola.pt/publica/100f/index.asp?n=f29 |title=100 figuras do futebol português |access-date=14 April 2017 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071212015215/http://www.abola.pt/publica/100f/index.asp?n=f29 |archive-date=12 December 2007 }} Retrieved 27 January 2011 (Portuguese)</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.academia-de-talentos.com/entrevista/2010/8/3/entrevista-com-nuno-martins-parte-1 |title=Entrevista com Nuno Martins (Parte 1) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525130446/http://www.academia-de-talentos.com/entrevista/2010/8/3/entrevista-com-nuno-martins-parte-1 |archive-date=25 May 2011 |access-date=9 February 2011 |language=pt |work=[[Academia de Talentos]]|date=January 2000 }}</ref> He was also rejected by [[Clube Ferroviário de Maputo|Ferroviário de Lourenço Marques]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vaza |first=Marco |date=5 January 2014 |title=Cronologia de uma vida |url=https://www.publico.pt/2014/01/05/desporto/noticia/cronologia-de-uma-vida-1618523 |access-date=11 October 2023 |website=PÚBLICO |language=pt |archive-date=28 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928213146/https://www.publico.pt/2014/01/05/desporto/noticia/cronologia-de-uma-vida-1618523 |url-status=live }}</ref> At 12, he then tried his luck with [[Clube de Desportos do Maxaquene|Sporting Clube de Lourenço Marques]] (an affiliate club of [[Sporting CPLisbon]]), which accepted him as well as a group of his friends who lived in Eusébio's neighbourhood.<ref name="tribuna.expresso.pt"/><ref name=":62" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramos |first=Carlos |date=2014-01-11 |title=Eusébio: 'Se não fosse futebolista, teria sido o melhor bailarino do mundo' |url=https://sol.sapo.pt/2014/01/11/eusebio-se-nao-fosse-futebolista-teria-sido-o-melhor-bailarino-do-mundo/ |access-date=2024-07-20 |website=Jornal SOL |language=pt-PT}}</ref> There he would have his first training sessions supervised by a coaching staff, receive his first ever football equipment and play competitive football in an organized way at both youth level and the main senior team.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Antigo jogador desmente Eusébio |url=https://expresso.pt/actualidade/antigo-jogador-desmente-eusebio=f691384 |access-date=8 November 2023 |website=Jornal Expresso |language=pt}}</ref> At 15, according to him, he was spotted by a former [[Juventus FC|Juventus]] goalkeeper turned scout: "When I was 15, Juventus of Italy, wanted to hire me, because one of their scouts, who had been a famous Italian goalkeeper for them, saw me and told them that there was a boy with a potential, that it would be good to take advantage while I was still unknown. Juventus proposed but my mum never wanted to hear anything from anyone". Eusébio played his first two seasons with Sporting Lourenço Marques' youth team while he also made a few appearances in the senior team.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.maxaquene.co.mz/article.php3?id_article=18 |title=Memórias do Maxaquene |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523212722/http://www.maxaquene.co.mz/article.php3?id_article=18 |archive-date=23 May 2011 |access-date=27 January 2011 |language=pt |date=17 July 2006 |work=[[Maxaquene]]}}</ref> Then he was promoted to the main squad and would win the [[Moçambola|Campeonato Provincial de Moçambique]] and the Campeonato Distrital de Lourenço Marques in his last season with the club, in 1960.<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |date=5 May 2020 |title=Carlos Vieira, antigo vice-presidente do Sporting, defende espaço para Eusébio no museu leonino |url=https://sol.sapo.pt/2020/05/05/carlos-vieira-antigo-vice-presidente-do-sporting-defende-espaco-para-eusebio-no-museu-leonino/ |access-date=11 October 2023 |website=Jornal SOL |language=pt |archive-date=30 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030220310/https://sol.sapo.pt/2020/05/05/carlos-vieira-antigo-vice-presidente-do-sporting-defende-espaco-para-eusebio-no-museu-leonino/ |url-status=live }}</ref> From 1957 to 1960, Eusébio scored a total of 77 goals in 42 appearances playing for the main team of Sporting Lourenço Marques.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eusébio :: Eusébio da Silva Ferreira :: Estatísticas :: Títulos :: História :: Golos :: Próximos Jogos :: Resultados :: Notícias :: Videos :: Fotos :: zerozero.pt |url=https://www.zerozero.pt/jogador/eusebio?search=1&search_string=eus%25E9bio&searchdb=1 |access-date=11 October 2023 |website=www.zerozero.pt |language=pt |archive-date=30 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030220234/https://www.zerozero.pt/jogador/eusebio?search=1&search_string=eus%25E9bio&searchdb=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>
