Angola - The Professor's Wards

Angola is another low-ranked team to make it to the 2006 World Cup finals. At 58, they are at present ranked only above Togo among the 32 finalists. Like Togo, this will be their first ever World Cup. Like Togo, Angola lost their first match of the qualifying competition. On October 12, 2003, Chad beat them 3-1 in Chad. At that stage, Angola were ranked 85th by FIFA. Angola won the return leg at home in Luanda 2-0 to scrape through to the group stage on away goals.

In the group stage Angola were placed in Group 4, along with Nigeria, Algeria, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Gabon. Nigeria were the obvious favourites to win this group, but Angola beat them in Luanda in their second match, after a most creditable away draw in Algeria. They won 3 of their first 5 matches, with 2 draws, until losing to Zimbabwe 0-2 away. However, a goalless draw in Nigeria strengthened their position considerably. 2 wins in their last 2 matches, 3-0 against Gabon and 1-0 in Rwanda confirmed their qualification to the Finals for the first time ever.

Angola is ably managed by the Portugal born Luis Oliveira Goncalves, known as the ‘Professor’ in African football. Inevitably, Angola’s opening match in the World Cup shall be against Portugal. The other teams in this group are Mexico and Iran, so qualification to the next round will not be easy. But with players like captain Fabrice Akwa in attack, they can certainly provide some shivers to the more fancied teams. The former Benfica star scored 5 of their 15 goals in qualification, including the crucial one against Rwanda in Kigali. Pedro Mantorras of Benfica is another potent striker. Ze Kalanga and Figuiredo provide the flair in midfield, while the defence is manned by the redoubtable Carlos Kali.

So Angola seems to be well prepared for their World Cup adventures. They are set to prove to the world that "Angola is not just about oil, war and poverty," as Akwa has famously stated recently.