Adilson Tavares Varela

Youth football

Cabral started his children's football with local amateur club Moudon. He moved to Étoile-Broye in 1998 and stayed with them three seasons. In 2000, he was spotted by Lausanne and in summer 2001 he joined their youth department.

Lausanne-Sport

Cabral then advanced through the ranks by Lausanne-Sport playing the 2004–05 with their U-21 team. In the 2005–06 season he advanced to their first team, who at that time played in the Challenge League, the second tier of Swiss football. He made his debut for the club in August 2005 under head coach Gérard Castella, coming on as a substitute in the match against Baden. He had only three appearances that season, but was regularly on the pitch the following season. He went on to play 26 league games for Lausanne-Sport.

Basel

In summer 2007, Cabral left Lausanne for Basel on a free transfer, signing a three-year deal. He joined Basel's first team for their 2007–08 season under head coach Christian Gross, who was starting his ninth season in that position. After playing in six test games Cabral played his domestic league debut for the club in the away game in the Stadion Wankdorf on 5 August 2007 as Basel suffered a 1–5 against Zürich. At the end of the 2007–08 season he won the Double with the club. They won the League Championship title with four points advantage over second placed Young Boys. In the Swiss Cup via Léchelles, Binningen, Grasshopper Club, Stade Nyonnais and in the semi-final Thun,…

Cabral represented Switzerland at Under-18, Under-19, Under-20 and Under-21 levels. In November 2012, Cabral switched his sporting nationality to his birth country of Cape Verde, being called up for the friendly match between the Cape Verde national senior team against Ghana. In that match, which Cape Verde lost 0–1, he was on the bench but did not play.

Cabral is a cousin of fellow footballers Manuel Fernandes, Gelson Fernandes and Edimilson Fernandes. In 2016, Cabral was found not guilty at Kingston upon Hull Crown Court after a woman had accused him of rape from his time at Sunderland. The woman had consensual sex with several footballers and the judge called her claim a "weak case". Cabral stated: "I was really angry for my family, for my friends, for this because everybody think 'You rape girls', 'You are a rapist'. Now the real story goes out. I am not guilty."

Basel

Swiss Super League: 2007–08, 2010, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13 Swiss Cup: 2007–08, 2009–10, 2011–12 Zürich

Swiss Cup: 2015–16