He started his career at Vitória de Setúbal and made his Primeira Liga debut in 1995, but moved to Hércules CF in the Spanish Segunda División aged 19 in 1997.
In January 1999, Sandro joined La Liga club Villarreal CF on loan, but made just two appearances in a six-month spell in a season that ended in relegation.
[3] In the 2009–10 season, Sandro played 26 matches and scored once, in a 2–1 away win against relegation rivals Leixões S.C. on 14 March 2010,[4][5] as Setúbal retained top-flight status.
[8] He chose to represent Cape Verde as a senior, making his debut on 5 June 2004 in a 2–1 away loss to South Africa in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
[17] In March 2013, Mendes was arrested by the National Counterterrorism unit of the Judicial Police, which was competent to investigate the crime of kidnapping.