Angola – which team will they bring along?
Previous finals appearances: 6 Best performance: Quarter-finalists in 2008 and 2010 World ranking Dec 2012: 84th
Coach: Gustavo Ferrin made his name in youth soccer, starting at Defensor Sporting in his native Uruguay and then taking his country’s under-17 and under-20 teams to world championships. His only previous senior job was at Montevideo- based Defensor Sporting, where he was responsible for a turnaround in fortunes in 2004. He took over as Angola coach in June from Lito Vidigal, who was fired after the team failed to reach the quarterfinals of the last Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
Key players:
Djalma Campos (Kasimpasa). Age: 25. Position: Forward After scoring only one goal for Portuguese champions FC Porto he was sent on loan to Turkey where he is again struggling to find the back of the net. He has been more effective with the national team where he plays as a foil to Manucho. His father Abel Campos played at Benfica and also for Angola.
Manucho (Real Valladolid). Age: 29 Position: Forward Two quick goals in the vital qualifying tie against Zimbabwe in October allowed Angola to squeak into the finals and confirmed Manucho’s status as their lead striker. His three goals made him joint top scorer at the 2012 finals in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. At Real Valladolid last month he scored twice against Real Madrid. Zuela (Apoel Nicosia). Age: 29 Position: Defender Zuela was born in Luanda and brought up in Portugal but most of his career has been spent at clubs in Greece, Russia and now Cyprus. Three years ago he went to Wigan Athletic on trial but did not prove successful. He can play at full back, central defence or as a defensive midfielder.
Prospects:
Angola have become more consistent and trickier to deal with although they are still inclined to periods of defensive frailty and the odd moment of complete folly. They will have a side dominated by homebased players who have been without league football since the Angola GiraBola season ended in November, bringing into question their fitness for the tournament.