Aboutaball :: About World Football

All the attention will be on hosts Angola as they kick off the tournament attempting to make home status count. Whatever the outcome for the Black Antelopes the continued development of the sport is assured, thanks to the staging of the 2010 African Cup of Nations.

There are numerous international sides around the world making immense progress in terms of their performance and development. In South America, Venezuela after hosting the Copa America in 2007 are no longer the whipping boys of CONMEBOL qualifying, whilst in Asia, Uzbekistan may not be too far away from their first appearance at a World Cup. In Africa, Angola could arguably claim the title of the fastest improving side on the continent.

After failing to even reach the African Cup of Nations until the mid-nineties, war torn and financially stricken Angola seldom played a leading role regionally let alone on a wider stage. However, stability within the country and development in the game has seen great strides made in recent years, culminating in the qualification for the World Cup in 2006, plus the privilege of hosting Africa’s most prestigious football tournament four years later.

Being selected as the host for such a tournament has seen significant investment not only in the football infrastructure (training facilities, stadiums), but also improvement in general, such as the transport network. Therefore CAF’s (The African Football Federation) far-sighted decision to award the African Cup of Nations to some of the lesser developed nations on the continent, such as Angola, and for 2012 Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, is certainly reaping many benefits.

Angola taking centre stage

Whilst they might not be at the World Cup in June, their appearance at the 2006 edition brought Angolan football to the attention of a wider audience. Achieving qualification for that World Cup was no mean feat for any African side, as qualification on that occasion was an arduous process, with only 1 side from each 6-country group going through, with no safety net of play-offs to rely on.

After trumping the better known Nigerians in Group 4 by virtue of a better head-to-head record, Angola subsequently performed creditably holding their own against both Iran and Mexico, and giving Portugal a good fight before eventually going down 1-0.

No place like home?

The side known as the Palancas Negras, the Black Antelopes, continued their upward trend after they reached the knock-out stages of the African Cup of Nations in 2008 for the first time. Only a narrow defeat to hosts Egypt in the quarter finals prevented further progress, but a win over Senegal, and draws against both South Africa and Tunisia, indicated that Angola were close to breaking into the top tier of teams from the region.

However qualification for the 2010 World Cup, which also doubled up as the qualifying tournament for this competition, went far from smoothly. Perhaps complacent in the knowledge that their berth in the African Cup of Nations was safe as hosts, Angola failed to perform. Indeed they were eliminated from the process after the initial group stage after minnows Benin squeezed them out by two points in the final reckoning.

It was the Angolan away-form that really counted against them, as although they defeated bottom side Niger on the road, they went down to a 3-2 loss in Benin and 3-1 loss in Uganda, who finished on the same points total as Angola.

Home form was significantly better as they won two and drew the other qualification match, so Angolan fans will be hoping their side can replicate that as they go into the first ever hosting of the African Cup of Nations.

Pivotal

Therefore this tournament assumes double significance for Angola. They not only need to perform in front of their own fans, but also to maintain the superb development that has taken place within the Angolan game in the last ten years or so. A failure to progress to the quarter finals at least could herald an era of stagnation in sporting terms, but a positive outcome could see Angolan football continue to grow.

Squad

Goalkeepers – Lama (Petro Atletico), Carlos (Rio Ave), Wilson (Caala)

Defenders – Manuel Jamuana (Petro Atletico), Enoque (Santos), Dias Caires (Sagrada Esperanca), Kali (Arles), Rui Marques (Leeds United),

Midfielders – David (Petro Atletico), Job (Petro Atletico), Xara (Petro Atletico), Zuela (Kuban Krasnodar), Gilberto (Al-Ahly), Ze Kalanga (Dinamo Bucharest), Dede (Timisoara), Stelvio (Uniao Leiria), Mabina (Petro Atletico)

Attackers – Mantorras (Benfica), Johnson Macaba (CRD Libolo), Djalma (Maritimo), Flavio (Al-Shabab), Love (1 de Augusto), Manucho (Real Valladolid)

Players to Watch

One of the key players for Angola will be Flavio, the former Al-Ahly striker now playing his trade in Saudi Arabia. With a strike record of around 1 every 3 matches at international level, but also a highly creative player, Angola will be looking to Flavio for some much needed creativity, as well as the odd goal throughout the tournament. He proved his worth to the team by scoring the goal that secured a 1-1 draw against Iran at the World Cup in 2006, and at 30 this may be his last major tournament in which he can participate where he might be considered at the peak of his powers.

Many followers of English football will be familiar with the name of Manucho. The former Manchester United forward arrived in England shortly before the 2008 tournament after notching an impressive strike ratio with top Angolan side Petro Atletico. However a lack of playing time saw Manucho figure just once for the Old Trafford side in a senior fixture. After two loan spells away from United, he left last summer to restart his career with Real Valladolid in Spain. He’s managed just two goals in eleven matches for his new employers, so will view the 2010 African Cup of Nations as an outstanding chance to rediscover some of the form that persuaded United to take a chance on him in the first place.

Fixtures

10th Jan – Mali

14th Jan – Malawi

18th Jan – Algeria

Prediction

The draw has been relatively kind to Angola, so hopes of reaching the quarter finals and equaling the 2008 performance will be high. Their hardest test may come in the final match against Algeria, one of Africa’s representatives for the World Cup. Angola will hope to be as close to qualification as possible by that stage or better yet, already through. The latter scenario would probably require wins in the first two games, something that Angola are capable of. Progress from Group A would then set up a subsequent possible clash against either the heavyweights of Ghana or the Ivory Coast from Group B, so anything more than a quarter-final appearance might be asking a bit much.