After the 1986 World Cup loss to Morocco, with the national side being ousted in the group stages – the competition was also stained by the Portuguese players' involvement in the Saltillo Affair – Carlos Manuel retired from the international scene, at only 28. In June 2012, he succeeded Luís Norton de Matos as manager of Guinea-Bissau. He was in charge for one match, a 1–0 loss away to Cameroon in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying stage (2–0 aggregate).