Angola World Cup 2006 Team Profile

World Cup Match Tickets

Mark McQuinn looks at first-timer Angola.

Angola Kit 1 Copyright © Soccerphile	Angola Kit 2 Copyright © Soccerphile

Carrying the hopes of Lusophone Africa, the Palancas Negros (Black Antelopes) have made it to the World Cup Finals for the first time in their history, following a tough qualifying campaign. Despite being the lowest ranked country to compete in Germany (Angola are placed 60 in the FIFA World Rankings at the time of writing), they will be difficult opponents for Portugal, Iran and Mexico in their Qualifying Group. In a country where basketball is akin to a religion (Angola have won eight African Nations Cup championships), qualification for the World Cup Finals at football is a tremendous achievement.

Angola have a fighting chance of making it through the group stages; they are well organised under an excellent coach in Luis Oliveira Goncalves, will trouble opponents with their pace and have a class finisher in captain, Akwa. The defence conceded only 6 goals in 10 qualifying group games, but Goncalves was less happy with his back-line in the African Cup of Nations Finals earlier in the year, calling them 'fragile'. Excellent team spirit is another major plus for Angola.

Background Information

Formally founded by Portugal as a colony in 1575, giving the match in the qualifying group between the two countries on June 11th, added frisson, Angola was used mainly as a base from which to send slaves to Brazil. Following the Second World War, a bitter struggle for freedom ended with the formal granting of independence on 11th November 1975. An initial transitional government quickly collapsed, leading to a civil war, which ended in 2002 with the death of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) leader, Jonas Savimbi.

The President, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, from the ruling Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) party, is now engaged in trying to win the peace and has stressed the importance of Angola qualifying for the World Cup Finals as a chance for the world to see different aspects of the country. These include a growing economy, though one that is heavily reliant on oil, which accounts for 45% of total GDP and more than 50% of export revenue, the natural beauty of Kissama National Park, stunning views of the Namibian desert from Leba Mountain, the Calandula Waterfalls and the some great music - notably kizomba, influenced by semba (the predecessor of Samba) and sounds from the French Caribbean, and Kuduro, a pulsing mix of kizomba and various other forms.

Portuguese remains the official language of Angola and the closely interlinked history of the two countries, as well as the fact that Angola have lost heavily to Portugal in previous encounters, including a record 6-0 reverse in Lisbon in 1989, should make the group game between the two a hard fought affair.

Road to Germany - Overview

The campaign could hardly have got off to a more underwhelming start. Drawn against Chad in a two-legged Preliminary Qualifying Round match, Angola limped back from the Stade Omnisports Idris Mahamat Ouya stadium in N'Djamena on 12th October 2003, after a 3-1 defeat that cost Brazilian coach, Ismael Kurtz, his job. A month later at the National 'Citadella' stadium in the capital Luanda, with new boss, 'Professor' Luis Oliveira Goncalves in charge, Angola squeezed into the Group Qualifying stage; goals from star man, Fabrice 'Akwa' Maieco just before half-time and Bruno Mauro in the second half, with no reply from Chad were enough for a 3-3 aggregate score, and victory on the away goals rule.

A hard qualifying group for the Palancas Negros awaited, with Angola facing two countries ranked higher than them by FIFA, in hot favourites Nigeria (12), and Zimbabwe (53), as well as Rwanda and Gabon. Undaunted, Angola started the campaign well with a battling 0-0 draw in Algeria on June 5th 2004 and by the time the team travelled to Kigali to face Rwanda in their final qualifying game sixteen months later, they knew a victory would ensure a dream trip to Germany, whatever Nigeria managed to do in their last match at home to Zimbabwe. Storming home form at 'fortress Citadela', played a major role in Angola's success. Angola sent all five opponents in their group away from the national stadium defeated, scoring eight goals and conceding only one; to Algeria.

Confidence received a boost early in the campaign when Nigeria were beaten in Angola's first home match in the group on June 20th 2004. Akwa was the hero, not so much ruffling as yanking out the Super Eagles feathers by scoring the winner five minutes from the end. Nigeria were left to rue the absences of star forward Obafemi Martins and Jay-Jay Okocha, who was unable to arrange a flight to Luanda, according to his agent.

In the return match Okocha did get a flight and put Nigeria ahead early in the second half but an equaliser on the hour mark from Figueiredo was enough to give Angola a vital point. This gave Angola the drop on Nigeria in head-to-head matches, which decide placings when teams are level on points. Angola went into the final round of group matches on October 8th 2005 level on 18 points with Nigeria. While Zimbabwe were easily dispatched 5-1 by Nigeria, Angola spluttered nervously in Rwanda, who hit the bar early in the second half. However, Akwa yet again played a heroic role, heading home Ze Kalanga's cross 10 minutes from time to send the visiting fans wild. Angola had made it to the World Cup Finals against the odds, while traditional giants of African football, such as Morocco, Egypt, Cameroon and South Africa, as well as Nigeria, were left to soul search as to why they had failed.

Road to Germany Results

Preliminary Qualifying Round
12 October 2003 Chad 3 Angola 1
16 November 2003 Angola 2 Chad 0

Aggregate Score 3-3 (Angola qualify for Group Stages on away goals rule)

Qualifying Group 4
05 June 2004 Algeria 0 Angola 0
20 June 2004 Angola 1 Nigeria 0
03 July 2004 Gabon 2 Angola 2
05 September 2004 Angola 1 Rwanda 0
10 October 2004 Angola 1 Zimbabwe 0
27 March 2005 Zimbabwe 2 Angola 0
05 June 2005 Angola 2 Algeria 1
18 June 2005 Nigeria 1 Angola 1
04 September 2005 Angola 3 Gabon 0
08 October 2005 Rwanda 0 Angola 1

Final Group Table

Germany build-up - Main Results and Fixtures

African Cup of Nations - Finals 2006

Group B Results
21 January 2006 Angola 1 Cameroon 3
25 January 2006 Angola 0 D.R. Congo 0
29th January 2006 Angola 3 Togo 2

Final Group B Table

Angola did not qualify for the next round.

Council of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) Cup 2006

Group A - Semi-Finals

29 April Angola 5 Mauritius 1
29 April Lesotho 0 Mozambique 0

Lesotho win 5-4 on penalties

Group A - Final
30 April Angola 3 Lesotho 1

Tournament resumes in August 2006.

Other matches
01 March 2006 (Seoul) South Korea 1 Angola 0
30 May 2006 (Naples) Angola v Argentina
02 June 2006 (Germany) Angola v Turkey
05 June 2006 (Norderstedt, Germany) Angola v USA

Star Player

Despite currently having no club, after being released from his contract with Al Wakra of Qatar early in 2006, dangerous forward Fabrice 'Akwa' Maieco is deservedly a national hero. At 33, Akwa may lack searing pace but is a great finisher, a player of technical ability and a much-respected captain. Akwa was the leading scorer with four during the qualifiers and his headed goal took Angola to Germany in a tight and tense final qualifying match away to Rwanda. Akwa made his international debut n 1998, is Angola's leading all-time goalscorer and continues to show impressive form in the build-up to the World Cup, scoring twice in the COSAFA Cup Group A semi-final against Mauritius on April 29th. An inspirational leader, Akwa has emphasised that qualifying for the World Cup Finals 'proves that Angola is about more than oil, war and poverty'.

Others to watch are Pedro 'Mantorras' Manuel, a fast forward with Benfica, who has quarrelled with the management after being used mainly as a substitute following his return from long-term injuries and Ze Kalanga, a strong midfield player in good form. He scored two against Lesotho in the COSAFA cup match at the end of April.

Coach

Born in Portugal in 1960, 45 year old 'Professor' Luis Oliveira Goncalves took over as coach for the second leg of the Preliminary Qualifying Round match against Chad in November 2003 and has done a great job since that time. He is tactically astute and has created a great team spirit, a dispute with Mantorras the Benfica-based forward over selection for the national team notwithstanding. Goncalves has coached Angola at Under 16, Under 17, Under 20 and Under 23 levels. He was in charge of the Angolan side that qualified for the FIFA World Youth Championships finals in Argentina in 2001 as African Champions.

Angola topped their group in Argentina, after three unbeaten matches but did not make it past the last 16 in the knock-out stages, going out 2-0 to the Netherlands. Some of the players from that talented group have graduated to the team that will play in Germany. His nous and determination are major pluses for Angola.

Fact File

Angola Football Association -

Founded 1979
Affiliated to FIFA 1980
Contact - Angolan Football Association
Compl. Da Citadela Desportiva 3449
Luanda, Angola
Tel - +244 2 264948 Fax - +244 2 260566
URL - www.fafutebol.com
Email - faf[at]fafutebol.ebonet.net

First international match -
01 June 1977 Angola 1 Cuba 0
Record victory -
23 April 2000 Angola 7 Swaziland 1
Record defeat -
01 March 1989 Portugal 6 Angola 0

World Cup Record
1930-1982 - Did not enter
1986-2002 - Did not qualify for the finals

Major Honours

Council of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) Cup winners - 1999, 2001, 2004. Angola kept the original COSAFA trophy in 2004 after beating Namibia in the final to become champions for the third time.

World Cup Squad

Bet on the World Cup

Goalkeepers João Ricardo (unattached), Lama (Petro Atletico), Mário (InterClube)
Defenders Delgado (Petro Atletico), Jamba (AS Aviacao), Kali (FC Barreirense, Portugal), Lebo Lebo (Petro Atletico), Loco (Primeiro Agosto), Marco Abreu (Portimonense, Portugal), Marco Airosa (FC Barreirense, Portugal), Rui Marques (Hull City, England)
Midfielders André (Kuwait SC, Kuwait), Edson (Pacos Ferreira, Portugal), Figueiredo, Mendonca (Varzim, Portugal), Miloy (InterClube), Zé Kalanga (Petro Atletico)
Strikers Akwá (unattached), Andre Titi Buengo (Clermont Foot, France), Flávio (Al Ahli, Egypt), Love (AS Aviacao), Mantorras (Benfica, Portugal), Mateus (Gil Vicente, Portugal).

Flights To Germany
Opodo

England Products
T-shirts, hats, caps

"The Onside In-Site" Copyright © From 2000. All rights reserved. Soccerphile Ltd.