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Angola national football team facts for kids

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Angola
Nickname(s) Palancas Negras (Black Sable antelopes)
Association Federação Angolana de Futebol (FAF)
Confederation CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation COSAFA (Southern Africa)
Head coach Pedro Gonçalves
Captain Fredy
Most caps Flávio (91)
Top scorer Akwá (39)
Home stadium Estádio 11 de Novembro
FIFA code ANG
First colours
Second colours
Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current 125 Steady (7 February 2019)
Highest 45 (July 2000)
Lowest 147 (March 2017)
Elo ranking
Current 129 Increase 24 (3 March 2019)
Highest 50 (September–October 2006)
Lowest 160 (3 September 2016)
First international
 Congo 3–2 Angola
(Brazzaville, Congo; 8 February 1976)
Biggest win
Angola 7–1 Swaziland 
(Luanda, Angola; 23 April 2000)
Biggest defeat
 Portugal 6–0 Angola
(Lisbon, Portugal; 23 March 1989)
World Cup
Appearances 1 (first in 2006)
Best result Group stage (2006)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances 10 (first in 1996)
Best result Quarter-finals (2008, 2010, 2023)
African Nations Championship
Appearances 3 (first in 2011)
Best result Runners-up (2011)
COSAFA Cup
Appearances 18 (first in 1998)
Best result Champions (1999, 2001, 2004, 2024, 2025)
Medal record
CAF African Nations Championship
Silver 2011 Sudan Team
COSAFA Cup
Gold 1999 Southern Africa
Gold 2001 Southern Africa
Gold 2004 Southern Africa
Gold 2024 South Africa
Gold 2025 South Africa
Silver 2006 Southern Africa
Bronze 1998 Southern Africa
Website faf.co.ao

The Angola national football team is the official men's football team for Angola. They are often called the Palancas Negras, which means "Black Sable Antelopes". This team is part of FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Angola's highest ever FIFA ranking was 45th in July 2000. Their biggest achievement was playing in the 2006 World Cup. This was their first and only time reaching the World Cup finals.

Team History

Angola played their very first football match against Congo on February 8, 1976. They lost that game 3–2. Their first game against a team from outside Africa was on June 26, 1977, when they beat Cuba 1–0.

Angola first tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 1986. They won against Senegal in the first round. However, they then lost to Algeria by a small margin.

The team first qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations in 1996. They played against strong teams like South Africa, Egypt, and Cameroon. They didn't make it past the first round that year. They also played in the 1998 tournament but again didn't advance.

In the 2006 African Nations Cup, Angola got their first win in the tournament, beating Togo 3–2. Their best performance in the Africa Cup of Nations came in 2008 and 2010, when they reached the quarter-finals. They also made it to the quarter-finals in 2023.

Angola has also won the COSAFA Cup several times, in 1999, 2001, 2004, 2024, and 2025.

Playing in the 2006 FIFA World Cup

Angola made history by qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. They only lost one game during the qualifying matches, finishing ahead of strong teams like Nigeria.

For the World Cup, Angola's coach got advice from famous manager José Mourinho. Key players like Akwá, João Ricardo, Paulo Figueiredo, Flávio Amado, and Jamba were part of this special team.

In the World Cup, Angola's first game was against Portugal. Portugal won 1–0. The atmosphere was very friendly because of the close ties between Angola and Portugal. Angola then drew 0–0 with Mexico. In their final group game, they drew 1–1 with Iran. Even though they only lost one game, Angola did not move on to the next round.

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

After the 2006 World Cup

After the 2006 World Cup, many experienced players retired. Even so, people hoped Angola would qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Angola won their first two qualifying matches but missed out on the next round by just two points.

Hosting the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations

Angola hosted the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. In their first game, they had an exciting 4–4 draw with Mali, after being ahead 4–0. They then beat Malawi 2–0 and drew 0–0 with Algeria, finishing first in their group. They were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Ghana, losing 1–0.

Team Uniforms

The Angolan team has had different kit (uniform) manufacturers over the years. Here's a list:

Kit providers Period
Denmark Hummel 1992–1994
Belgium Olympic 1995–1996
Germany Adidas 1997–1999
Italy Devis 2000–2001
Portugal Saillev 2002–2003
Belgium Olympic 2004–2006
Germany Puma 2006–2012
Germany Adidas 2012–2018
Germany Puma 2018–2019
Portugal Lacatoni 2019–2024

Recent Matches and Future Games

The team has been very active recently. In July 2024, Angola won the 2024 COSAFA Cup, beating Seychelles, Lesotho, Comoros, and Namibia. They continued their winning streak in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers, winning against Ghana, Sudan, and Niger. They also won the 2025 COSAFA Cup in June 2025, defeating South Africa in the final.

Here are some of their upcoming matches:

  • September 2025: FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against Libya and Mauritius.
  • October 2025: FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against Eswatini and Cameroon.
  • November 2025: A friendly match against Brazil.
  • December 2025: Africa Cup of Nations matches against South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Egypt.

Coaching Staff

The team has a group of coaches and staff who help the players.

Head coach Portugal Pedro Gonçalves
Assistant coaches Angola Jorge Kamulete
Angola António Luvumbo
Goalkeeping coach Angola Luís Tchikumbi
Fitness coach Angola Justino Ndongo
Match analyst Angola José Kivela
Doctors Angola Dr. Filipe Mavungu
Angola Dr. Ricardo Kwanza
Physiotherapists Angola Salomão Kafala
Angola Marcolino Ndala
Angola Francisco Lueji
Angola João Nguvulu
Team coordinator Angola Tomás Nganga
Technical director Angola Tiago Mvulu

Coaching History

Many coaches have led the Angolan national team over the years.

  • Hungary József Szabó (1965 – 1966)
  • Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Zlatko Škorić (? – ?)
  • Angola Rubén García (? –1988)
  • Angola Carlos Queirós (1988–?)
  • Portugal Jesualdo Ferreira (1989)
  • Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Dušan Kondić (? –1993)
  • Angola Branco Arlindo (1993–?)
  • Portugal Carlos Alhinho (1994–1995)
  • Portugal Professor Neca (1996–1998)
  • Angola Carlos de Abreu (1998)
  • Serbia and Montenegro Veselin Jelušić (1998)
  • Brazil Djalma Cavalcante (1999)
  • Portugal Carlos Alhinho (2000)
  • Angola Mário Calado (2000–2001)
  • Brazil Ismael Kurtz (2002–2003)
  • Angola Luís Oliveira Gonçalves (2003–2008)
  • Angola Mabi de Almeida (2008–2009)
  • Portugal Manuel José (2009–2010)
  • France Hervé Renard (2010)
  • Angola Zeca Amaral (2010)
  • Angola Lito Vidigal (2011–2012)
  • Angola Romeu Filemón (2012)
  • Uruguay Gustavo Ferrín (2012–2013)
  • Angola Romeu Filemón (2014–2015)
  • Angola José Kilamba (2016–2017)
  • Brazil Beto Bianchi (2017–2018)
  • Serbia Srđan Vasiljević (2018–2019)
  • Portugal Pedro Gonçalves (2019–)

Team Players

Current Squad

These are the players who were chosen for the 2025 COSAFA Cup in June 2025. The numbers for games played (caps) and goals scored are correct as of June 15, 2025, after the match against South Africa.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Neblú (1993-12-16) 16 December 1993 (age 31) 43 0 Angola 1° de Agosto
1GK Antonio Dominique (1994-07-25) 25 July 1994 (age 31) 18 0 Switzerland Étoile Carouge
1GK Agostinho Calunga (1998-07-10) 10 July 1998 (age 27) 0 0 Angola Wiliete
1GK Rui Honésimo (1996-05-01) 1 May 1996 (age 29) 0 0 Angola Interclube

2DF Jonathan Buatu (1993-09-27) 27 September 1993 (age 31) 55 1 Portugal Gil Vicente
2DF Antonio Hossi (2001-06-12) 12 June 2001 (age 24) 23 0 Angola 1° de Agosto
2DF Pedro Bondo (2004-11-16) 16 November 2004 (age 20) 13 1 Portugal Famalicão
2DF Mindinho (2004-11-18) 18 November 2004 (age 20) 10 0 Angola Petro de Luanda
2DF Jordy Gaspar (1997-04-23) 23 April 1997 (age 28) 8 0 France Pau
2DF Vidinho (1998-02-25) 25 February 1998 (age 27) 9 4 Angola Petro de Luanda
2DF Alexandre Abel Fernando (1998-05-25) 25 May 1998 (age 27) 3 0 Angola Sagrada Esperança
2DF Mabele (1999-12-30) 30 December 1999 (age 25) 3 0 Angola 1° de Agosto
2DF Luis Caica (2005-07-31) 31 July 2005 (age 20) 1 0 Angola Interclube
2DF Leonel Cambuta Yobo (2005-04-14) 14 April 2005 (age 20) 0 0 Angola Petro de Luanda
2DF Sami 0 0 Angola

3MF Show (1999-03-06) 6 March 1999 (age 26) 55 1 United States FC Dallas
3MF Manuel Keliano (2003-01-06) 6 January 2003 (age 22) 20 2 Portugal Estrela Amadora
3MF Randy Nteka (1997-12-06) 6 December 1997 (age 27) 12 2 Spain Rayo Vallecano
3MF Além (1997-12-06) 6 December 1997 (age 27) 11 1 Angola Interclube
3MF Pedro Agostinho (2000-07-30) 30 July 2000 (age 25) 6 0 Angola Lunda Sul
3MF Aguinaldo (1998-10-17) 17 October 1998 (age 26) 1 0 Angola 1° de Agosto
3MF Joca (1996-08-14) 14 August 1996 (age 28) 0 0 Angola Lunda Sul
3MF Higino Kapitango (2003-05-05) 5 May 2003 (age 22) 0 0 Angola Bravos do Maquis

4FW Zini (2002-07-03) 3 July 2002 (age 23) 30 7 Greece AEK Athens
4FW Felício Milson (1999-10-12) 12 October 1999 (age 25) 26 4 Serbia Red Star Belgrade
4FW Gilberto (2001-03-10) 10 March 2001 (age 24) 21 3 Angola Petro de Luanda
4FW Depú (2000-01-08) 8 January 2000 (age 25) 17 15 Serbia Vojvodina
4FW Chico Banza (1998-12-17) 17 December 1998 (age 26) 15 0 Portugal Portimonense
4FW Lépua (1999-12-23) 23 December 1999 (age 25) 11 1 Angola Sagrada Esperança
4FW Kaporal (1994-05-16) 16 May 1994 (age 31) 7 1 Angola Wiliete
4FW Ilìdio Panda (2008-07-06) 6 July 2008 (age 17) 0 0 Angola Petro de Luanda

Players Called Up Recently

These players have also been called to the Angola squad in the last year and can still be chosen.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Nsesane Emanuel Simão (2000-11-05) 5 November 2000 (age 24) 0 0 Angola Sagrada Esperança v.  Cape Verde, 25 March 2025
GK Kadú (1994-11-30) 30 November 1994 (age 30) 3 0 Portugal Oliveira do Hospital v.  Sudan, 18 November 2024
GK Ricardo Batista (1986-11-19) 19 November 1986 (age 38) 0 0 Portugal Casa Pia v.  Ghana, 15 November 2024 PRE

DF Bastos (1991-11-23) 23 November 1991 (age 33) 59 2 Brazil Botafogo v.  Cape Verde, 25 March 2025
DF Kialonda Gaspar (1997-09-27) 27 September 1997 (age 27) 43 1 Italy Lecce v.  Cape Verde, 25 March 2025
DF Tó Carneiro (1995-11-05) 5 November 1995 (age 29) 41 1 Morocco AS FAR v.  Cape Verde, 25 March 2025
DF Kinito (1998-03-13) 13 March 1998 (age 27) 15 0 Angola Petro de Luanda v.  Cape Verde, 25 March 2025
DF Clinton Mata (1992-11-07) 7 November 1992 (age 32) 14 0 France Lyon v.  Cape Verde, 25 March 2025
DF David Carmo (1999-07-19) 19 July 1999 (age 26) 10 0 England Nottingham Forest v.  Cape Verde, 25 March 2025
DF Sandro Cruz (2001-05-12) 12 May 2001 (age 24) 7 0 Portugal Chaves v.  Cape Verde, 25 March 2025
DF Núrio Fortuna (1995-03-24) 24 March 1995 (age 30) 21 0 Greece Volos v.  Sudan, 18 November 2024

MF Fredy (captain) (1990-03-27) 27 March 1990 (age 35) 61 3 Turkey Eyüpspor v.  Cape Verde, 25 March 2025
MF Maestro (2003-08-04) 4 August 2003 (age 21) 17 1 Turkey Adana Demirspor v.  Cape Verde, 25 March 2025
MF Domingos Andrade (2003-05-07) 7 May 2003 (age 22) 7 0 Portugal Porto B v.  Cape Verde, 25 March 2025
MF Beni Mukendi (2002-05-21) 21 May 2002 (age 23) 3 0 Portugal Vitoria de Guimarães v.  Cape Verde, 25 March 2025
MF Aldaír Ferreira (1998-03-26) 26 March 1998 (age 27) 0 0 Romania Botoșani v.  Sudan, 18 November 2024
MF João Batxi (1998-05-01) 1 May 1998 (age 27) 3 0 Russia Krasnodar v.  Ghana, 15 November 2024 PRE
MF Estrela (1995-09-22) 22 September 1995 (age 29) 24 0 Turkey Erzurumspor v.  Niger, 15 October 2024
MF Megue (1996-12-02) 2 December 1996 (age 28) 11 2 Angola Petro de Luanda v.  Niger, 15 October 2024
MF Rui Modesto (1999-09-07) 7 September 1999 (age 25) 4 0 Italy Udinese v.  Niger, 15 October 2024

FW Gelson Dala (1996-07-13) 13 July 1996 (age 29) 51 21 Qatar Al-Wakrah v.  Cape Verde, 25 March 2025
FW Mabululu (1992-06-01) 1 June 1992 (age 33) 38 13 Libya Al Ahli v.  Cape Verde, 25 March 2025
FW M'Bala Nzola (1996-08-18) 18 August 1996 (age 28) 8 2 France Lens v.  Cape Verde, 25 March 2025
FW Manuel Benson (1997-03-28) 28 March 1997 (age 28) 4 0 England Burnley v.  Cape Verde, 25 March 2025
FW André Vidigal (1998-08-17) 17 August 1998 (age 26) 1 0 England Stoke City v.  Cape Verde, 25 March 2025
FW Zito Luvumbo (2002-03-09) 9 March 2002 (age 23) 24 0 Italy Cagliari v.  Sudan, 18 November 2024

DEC Player refused to join the team after the call-up.
INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
PRE Preliminary squad.
RET Player has retired from international football.
SUS Suspended from the national team.

Team Records

Here are some records for the Angolan national football team. Players whose names are in bold are still playing for Angola.

Most Games Played

FlávioAmado.TV
Flávio is Angola's most capped player with 91 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1. Flávio 91 34 2000–2012
2. Gilberto 89 10 1999–2015
3. Love Cabungula 79 11 2001–2016
4. Akwá 78 39 1995–2006
5. Yamba Asha 77 1 2000–2009
6. Kali 73 0 2003–2011
7. André Macanga 70 2 1999–2012
Mateus 70 14 2006–2021
9. Job 64 7 2007–2018
10. António João Neto 60 1 1992–2001

Top Goal Scorers

FIFA World Cup 2006, Iran 1-1 Angola (07)
Akwá (left) is Angola's top scorer with 39 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1. Akwá 39 78 0.5 1995–2006
2. Flávio 34 91 0.37 2000–2012
3. Manucho 22 53 0.42 2006–2017
4. Gelson Dala 21 51 0.41 2015–present
5. Paulão 19 52 0.37 1993–2001
6. Jesus 18 48 0.38 1979–1990
7. Mateus 14 70 0.2 2006–2021
8. Depú 13 16 0.81 2021–present
Mabululu 13 38 0.34 2013–present
10. Love Cabungula 11 79 0.14 2001–2016

Tournament History

FIFA World Cup

Angola has played in the FIFA World Cup once, in 2006. They first tried to qualify in 1986. They won their first round match against Senegal in a penalty shootout. However, they lost in the second round to Algeria. Algeria then went on to play in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

Angola's only World Cup appearance was in 2006 in Germany. Angola at the FIFA World Cup

Africa Cup of Nations

Angola at the Africa Cup of Nations

African Nations Championship

African Nations Championship record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad
Ivory Coast 2009 Did not qualify
Sudan 2011 Runners-up 2nd 6 1 4 1 4 6 Squad
South Africa 2014 Did not qualify
Rwanda 2016 Group stage 11th 3 1 0 2 4 5 Squad
Morocco 2018 Quarter-final 8th 4 1 2 1 2 2 Squad
Cameroon 2020 Did not qualify
Algeria 2022 Group stage 12th 2 0 2 0 3 3 Squad
Total Champions 4/7 15 3 8 4 13 16

COSAFA Cup

Year COSAFA Cup record
Result Pld W D L GF GA
1997 Did not enter
1998 Third place 5 1 4 0 6 4
1999 Winners 5 4 0 1 6 2
2000 Semi-final 2 0 1 1 1 2
2001 Winners 4 2 2 0 3 1
2002 Quarter-final 1 0 0 1 1 2
2003 First round 1 0 0 1 0 1
2004 Winners 4 2 2 0 4 2
2005 Semi-final 1 0 0 1 1 2
2006 Runners-up 4 3 0 1 10 5
2007 Quarter-final 2 1 1 0 2 0
South Africa 2008 See Angola national under-20 football team.
Zimbabwe 2009 Quarter-final 1 0 0 1 0 2
Zambia 2013 Plate final 3 1 1 1 4 4
South Africa 2015 Did not enter
Namibia 2016 Group stage 3 0 0 3 0 7
South Africa 2017 Group stage 3 1 2 0 1 0
South Africa 2018 Group stage 3 1 1 1 2 2
South Africa 2019 Withdrew
South Africa 2020 Cancelled
South Africa 2021 Did not enter
South Africa 2022 Group stage 3 2 0 1 6 2
South Africa 2024 Winners 5 4 1 0 11 4
South Africa 2025 Winners 5 4 1 0 13 2
Total 18/23 47 24 16 12 65 42

Team Achievements

Iran vs. Angola 2014-05-30 (002)
The national football team of Angola in 2014

Major Competitions

  • African Nations Championship
    • Silver medal africa.svg Runners-up: 2011

Regional Competitions

  • COSAFA Cup
    • 1 Winners: 1999, 2001, 2004, 2024, 2025
    • 2 Runners-up: 2006
    • 3 Third-place: 1998
  • Central African Games
    • 2 Silver medal: 1987

Summary of Medals

Senior Competitions 1 2 3 Total
CAF African Nations Championship 0 1 0 1
Total 0 1 0 1

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Angola para niños

  • Angola women's national football team
  • Angola national under-20 football team
  • Angola national under-17 football team
  • Angolan Football Federation
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