WORLD
CUP 2006
Angola
Introduction
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Angola have declared that they hope their first World Cup appearance will be as much about promoting their formerly war-torn
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country as about achievements on the pitch.
They caused a major shock when pipping continental heavyweights Nigeria for a place at the finals but doubts about their ability to perform adequately on the world stage were increased by their poor showing at the African Nations Cup in January, when they exited at the group stage.
Decades of civil war have retarded football’s development in the oil-rich country to such a degree that it has been mainly confined to the capital, Luanda, which is home to a massive refugee population from the provinces. But the potential for kids to play is limited by the daily grind of poverty. As a result, the national team have actively pursued players of Angolan origin from the diaspora to Europe, those from families who fled at the time of independence three decades ago or more recently from among refugees of the civil war.
The selection policy has produced a disparate team, but despite the players’ vastly different backgrounds, they get on surprisingly well.
Angola have been top-heavy in competent forwards but players such as Akwa, Mantorras and Love have disappointed in recent months. Akwa was out of sorts at the Nations Cup, with many blaming his playboy lifestyle for his woeful showing, while Mantorras sulked on the bench after coach Luis Oliveira Goncalves opted not to play him in the starting line-up. The Benfica striker, who has not started a game for his club all season either, has since risked missing out on the World Cup by making a stinging criticism of the coach.
Midfield and defence are both problem areas, while a dearth of goalkeepers means the first-choice is likely to be veteran Joao Ricardo. He will possibly be the only player at the World Cup who did not have a club last season. He trained on his own as he tried in vain to secure a contract in Portugal.
Despite their woes over the decades, the Angolans remain a vibrant, outgoing people. With that approach they have been soaking up the World Cup atmosphere and revelling in a rare chance to rub shoulders with the world’s footballing powers.
Results may not matter as much as absorbing the experience of the finals, not least because Angola are unlikely to be back for some time.
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