Angola national football team

Angola
Nickname(s) Palancas Negras
(Sable Antelopes)
Association Federação Angolana de Futebol
Sub-confederation COSAFA (Southern Africa)
Confederation CAF (Africa)
Head coach Romeu Filemón
Asst coach Chipenda
Captain Manucho Gonçalves
Top scorer Akwá (38)
Home stadium Estádio 11 de Novembro
FIFA code ANG
FIFA ranking 89 Decrease 5 (9 April 2015)
Highest FIFA ranking 45 (July 2000)
Lowest FIFA ranking 124 (March 1994)
Elo ranking 101 (31 March 2015)
Highest Elo ranking 50 (September–October 2006)
Lowest Elo ranking 106 (10 September 2014)
First colours
Second colours
First international
 PR Congo 3–2 PR Angola 
(Brazzaville, People's Republic of the Congo; 8 February 1976)
Biggest win
 Angola 7–1 Swaziland 
(Luanda, Angola; 23 April 2000)
Biggest defeat
 Portugal 6–0 PR Angola 
(Lisbon, Portugal; 23 March 1989)
World Cup
Appearances 1 (First in 2006)
Best result Round 1: 2006
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances 7 (First in 1996)
Best result Quarter-finals: 2008, 2010

The Angola national football team, nicknamed Palancas Negras (Sable Antelopes), is the national team of Angola and is controlled by the Federação Angolana de Futebol. Angola reached 45th in the FIFA Rankings in July 2002. Their greatest accomplishment was qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, as this was their first appearance on the World Cup finals stage: they were eliminated after one defeat and two draws in the group stage.

History

Angola played their first game against PR Congo on 8 February 1976, losing 3–2.

Angola qualified for their first Africa Cup of Nations in 1996. They were drawn in Group A with South Africa, Egypt and Cameroon. They lost their first two games to Egypt and South Africa, but managed a 3–3 draw against Cameroon. They finished bottom of the group and did not reach the second round. Angola then qualified for their second successive African Cup of Nations in 1998, but again failed to reach the second round, drawing 0–0 with South Africa and 3–3 with Namibia, and losing 5–2 to Côte d'Ivoire.

After missing the last 3 tournaments, they qualified for the 2006 African Nations Cup. They recorded their first African Cup of Nations win against Togo, winning 3–2, two goals coming from Flávio and the other coming from Maurito. They also drew 0–0 against Congo DR and lost 3–1 against Cameroon. Angola's best performance then came in the 2008 African Nations Cup. They were drawn in Group D with Tunisia, South Africa and Senegal. They drew 1–1 and 0–0 with South Africa and Tunisia, then defeated Senegal 3–1, two goals coming from Manucho. In the quarter-finals they were beaten by eventual winners Egypt 2–1, but Manucho scored again, finishing with four goals in total.

Angola also won the COSAFA Cup in 1999, 2001 and 2004.

2006 FIFA World Cup

Angola qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup after only losing one game in the qualifying ahead of favourites Nigeria.

When picking the squad, Gonçalves sought advice from Chelsea manager José Mourinho, whose wife was born in Angola. Angola's Golden Generation saw players like Akwá, João Ricardo, Paulo Figueiredo and Jamba selected to go to the World Cup. Angola played six warm-up games against South Korea, Mauritius, Lesotho, Argentina, Turkey and USA.

Angola played their first World Cup finals game against Portuguese side, who won the match 1–0, the only goal coming from Pauleta.[1] There was a very friendly environment in and around the stadium during this match because of the links and friendship between the countries of Angola and Portugal. Angola drew 0–0 in their second game with Mexico, and still had a chance of qualifying for the second round had they beaten Iran in their final group game, but the match finished 1–1 after goals by Flávio and Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh. Angola were eliminated from the tournament only losing one game.[2][3]

Fans of the Angolan national football team in Cologne, Germany.

2010 World Cup failure

After the 2006 FIFA World Cup many of Angola's most experienced players such as Akwá and João Ricardo retired from the international game, but the expectation was still high for the team to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The team had a bye through the first round of qualification and in the second round they were drawn in Group 3 along with Benin, Uganda and Niger. Despite winning their first two matches, Angola failed to proceed to the third round, missing out by two points.

2010 Africa Cup of Nations

As hosts of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, Angola were seeded in Group A along with Mali, Algeria, and Malawi. Coached by Manuel José, in their first game they drew 4–4 with Mali, after letting a 4–0 lead slip in the last 11 minutes (including three goals in stoppage time). They recovered from this by beating Malawi 2–0 in the second match, and topped the group by drawing 0–0 with Algeria. They were knocked out in the quarter final after a 1–0 defeat by eventual finalists Ghana.

Achievements

1999, 2001, 2004
1987
2011

FIFA World Cup record

As of 2013, Angola has qualified once for a FIFA World Cup. Its first participation on the FIFA World Cup qualification was on 1986, where they won in the first round, beating Senegal 4—3 on penalty kicks. They later lost on the 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF)#Second round to Algeria. Algeria went to the third round and qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico.

Angola's first participation on the World Cup was on the 2006 FIFA World Cup, in Germany.

FIFA World Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 to
Spain 1982		Did not enter
Mexico 1986 to
South Korea Japan 2002		Did not qualify
Germany 2006 Group Stage 23rd 3 0 2 1 1 2
South Africa 2010 Did not qualify
Brazil 2014
Total Group Stage 1/20 3 0 2 1 1 2

Africa Cup of Nations record

African Cup of Nations
Titles: 0
Appearances: 6
Year Position Year Position Year Position Year Position
Sudan 1957Did not enterEthiopia 1976Did not enterTunisia 1994Did not qualifyEquatorial GuineaGabon 2012Round 1
Egypt 1959Did not enterGhana 1978Did not enterSouth Africa 1996Round 1South Africa 2013Round 1
Ethiopia 1962Did not enterNigeria 1980Did not enterBurkina Faso 1998Round 1Equatorial Guinea 2015Did not qualify
Ghana 1963Did not enterLibya 1982Did not qualifyGhanaNigeria 2000Did not qualify
Tunisia 1965Did not enterIvory Coast 1984Did not qualifyMali 2002Did not qualify
Ethiopia 1968Did not enterEgypt 1986Did not enterTunisia 2004Did not qualify
Sudan 1970Did not enterMorocco 1988Did not qualifyEgypt 2006Round 1
Cameroon 1972Did not enterAlgeria 1990Did not qualifyGhana 2008Quarterfinals
Egypt 1974Did not enterSenegal 1992Did not qualify Angola 2010 Quarterfinals

Angola all-time record against all nations

Schedule

2013 Record

2014 Record

Current squad

The following players were called for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification against Lesotho on 10 and 15 October 2014.
Caps and goals as of 3 August 2014 after the match against Ethiopia.

# Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
GK Landú 4 January 1990 10 0 Angola Recreativo do Libolo
GK Antonio Dominique 25 July 1994 3 0 Switzerland Le Mont
GK Rubian 6 December 1989 0 0 Angola Kabuscorp
DF Miguel Quiame 17 November 1991 21 0 Angola Benfica de Luanda
DF Bastos 23 November 1991 19 1 Russia Rostov
DF Natael 23 September 1993 7 0 Angola Sagrada Esperança
DF Gomito 22 June 1983 6 0 Angola Recreativo do Libolo
DF Genséric Kusunga 12 March 1988 3 0 England Oldham Athletic
DF Jonathan Buatu Mananga 27 September 1993 1 0 England Fulham U21
DF Clinton 7 November 1992 1 0 Belgium Charleroi
MF Gilberto 21 September 1982 72 7 Angola Petro Luanda
MF Chara 10 December 1981 38 0 Angola Petro Luanda
MF Job 27 September 1987 32 3 Angola Petro Luanda
MF Geraldo 23 November 1991 12 0 Brazil Red Bull Brasil
MF Vado Dias 18 April 1987 10 2 Angola Benfica de Luanda
MF Ary Papel 3 March 1994 9 0 Angola 1º de Agosto
MF Manucho Diniz 4 June 1986 6 0 Angola 1° de Agosto
MF Joaquim Adão 14 July 1992 4 0 Angola Progresso do Sambizanga
MF Rúben Gouveia 13 March 1985 4 0 Angola Recreativo Caála
MF Carlitos 24 September 1988 1 0 Angola Recreativo do Libolo
FW Love Cabungula 14 March 1979 61 8 Angola Kabuscorp
FW Alexander Christovão 14 March 1993 5 1 Angola Recreativo do Libolo
FW Fredy 27 March 1990 5 0 Portugal Belenenses
FW Rudy 1 May 1989 2 0 Greece Skoda Xanthi
FW Dolly Menga 2 May 1993 1 0 Portugal Benfica

Recent callups

The following players have been called up in the last twelve months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Élber 24 June 1991 1 0 Angola Benfica de Luanda v.  Lesotho, 10 October 2014
DF Lunguinha 16 January 1986 12 0 Angola Kabuscorp v.  Iran, 30 May 2014
DF Abdul 7 April 1994 5 2 Angola Petro Luanda v.  Iran, 30 May 2014
DF Silva 27 April 1984 1 1 Angola Kabuscorp v.  Iran, 30 May 2014
MF Chico Caputo 15 May 1985 3 0 Angola Interclube v.  Iran, 30 May 2014
MF Jaime 21 May 1982 3 0 Angola Progresso do Sambizanga v.  Iran, 30 May 2014
FW Manucho 7 March 1983 51 21 Spain Rayo Vallecano v.  Lesotho, 10 October 2014
FW José Vunguidica 3 January 1990 15 0 Germany Wehen Wiesbaden v.  Lesotho, 10 October 2014
FW Igor Vetokele 23 March 1992 3 0 England Charlton Athletic v.  Lesotho, 10 October 2014
FW Patrick II 15 September 1986 1 0 Angola Sagrada Esperança v.  Botswana, 13 August 2014
FW Djalma 30 May 1987 35 3 Turkey Konyaspor v.  Iran, 30 May 2014

Previous squads

FIFA World Cup

Africa Cup of Nations

Kit suppliers

Between 2006 to 2012, Angola's kits were supplied by Puma. Adidas took over in 2012 and remain Angola's kit suppliers to this day.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ FIFA awarded Angola a 3–0 win as a result of Liberia fielding the ineligible player Nathaniel Sherman. The match originally ended 4–1 to Angola.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Brodkin, Jon (12 June 2006). "Figo sparkles as Ronaldo's tricks lead to the bench". Guardian. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  2. ↑ "Mexico 0–0 Angola". BBC. 16 June 2006. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  3. ↑ "Iran 1–1 Angola". BBC. 21 June 2006. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  4. ↑ "Liberia sanctioned for fielding ineligible player". FIFA.com. 24 October 2013.

External links