FACTBOX-Soccer-Profile of Angola team for 2023 Africa Cup of Nations

Factbox on Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers Angola. Midfielder. A debut for the national team at 18 marked out Manuel Luis Cafumana, better known as Show, as one to watch for Angola and he has not disappointed.

Factbox on Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers Angola. Africa Cup of Nations record:

Previous appearances in finals: (8) 1996, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2019 Best performance: Quarter-finalists 2008, 2010

Drawn in Group D with Algeria, Burkina Faso and Mauritania. - - -

Coach: Pedro Goncalves The 47-year-old moved from coaching at the academy at Portuguese side Sporting to set up a similar project in Angola and from there was invited to take charge of Angola’s under-17 team. When he qualified them for the 2019 U-17 World Cup in Brazil, he was then asked to take

- - - Key player: Show. Age: 24. Midfielder.

A debut for the national team at 18 marked out Manuel Luis Cafumana, better known as Show, as one to watch for Angola and he has not disappointed. A defensive midfielder with a phenomenal work rate and eye for an accurate pass, he moved to France with Lille while still a teenager. There, he took time to settle and was allowed to go to Portugal on loan at Boavista. A move to Ludogorets in 2021 was followed after two years by a transfer to Maccabi Haifa, with whom he was ever present in the Europa League group phase this season. - - -

FIFA world ranking Dec 2023: 117 How they qualified: Second placed team in Group E, behind Ghana but ahead of the Central African Republic and Madagascar.

Squad: Goalkeepers: Antonio Dominique (Etoile Carouge), Kadu (Oliveira Hospital), Neblu (Premiero Agosto)

Defenders: Eddie Afonso (Petro Atletico), Loide Augusto (Alanyaspor), Jonathan Buatu (Valenciennes), Tó Carneiro (Petro Atletico), Núrio Fortuna, (Gent), Kialonda Gaspar (Estrela Amadora), Kinito (Petro Atletico) Midfielders: Beni (Casa Pia), Estrela (Erzurumspor), Fredy (Eyupspor), Keliano Manuel (Estrela Amadora), Bruno Paz (Konyaspor), Show (Maccabi Haifa)

Forwards: Jeremie Bela (Clermont, Foot), Gelson Dala (Al Wakrah), Gilberto (Petro Atletico), Zito Luvumbo (Cagliari), Mabululu (Al Ittihad), Milson (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Zine (AEK Athens). (Compiled by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Toby Davis)