FACTBOX-Soccer-Profile on Angola team for 2019 African Cup of Nations

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

Previous appearances in finals: (7) 1996, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013 Best performance: Quarter-finalists in 2008 and 2010

Drawn in Group E with Mali, Mauritania and Tunisia. - - -

Coach: Srdan Vasiljevic The 46-year-old Serbian was a surprise appointment by Angola at the end of 2017. He had little playing or coaching pedigree save for a spell as an assistant with the Serbian national side under Vladimir Petrovic.

But since arriving the former defender, whose club career took in spells in Romania and Kazakhstan, has seen Angola to their first Cup of Nations since 2013. - - -

Key player: Bastos. Age: 27. Defender. The centre back has been a member of Angola’s side for the last eight years, won almost 50 caps and returns to the Cup of Nations after playing at the 2013 edition.

It was the same year he moves from Luanda to play at Rostov in Russia and where he quickly made a name for himself as his new club won the Russian Cup and competed in the Europa League. Lazio paid 6.5 million euros ($7.29 million) for his services in 2016 and last month he was in the side that beat Atalanta 2-0 in the Coppa Italia final.

- - - FIFA world ranking in June 2019: 123

How they qualified: Top placed team in Group I, ahead of Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Botswana. Squad:

Goalkeepers: Landu (InterClube), Ndulo (Desportivo Huila), Toni Cabraca (Primeiro Agosto) Defenders: Bastos (Lazio), Bruno Gaspar (Sporting Lisbon), Dani Masunguna (Primeiro Agosto), Eddie Afonso (Petro Atletico), Isaac (Primeiro Agosto), Jonathan Buatu (Rio Ave), Paizo (Primeiro d'Agosto), Wilson Gaspar (Petro Atletico)

Midfielders: Djalma Campos (Alanyaspor), Fredy (Antalyaspor), Geraldo (Al Ahly), Herenilson (Petro Atletico), Macaia, Show (both Primeiro Agosto), Stelvio (Dudelange) Forwards: Evandro Brandao (Leixoes), Gelson Dala (Rio Ave), Mabululu (Primeiro Agosto), Mateus Galiano (Boavista), Wilson Eduardo (Sporting Braga).

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