PROSPECTS
Football has such resilience in Angola that a league championship was played every year during the four decades of war that ended in 2002. But the country only joined Fifa in 1980 and rarely looked like reaching the World Cup finals until qualifying for this year’s tournament, edging out Nigeria in the process. They have received generous government support, backed by the country’s growing oil riches, which has allowed Luis Oliveira Gonçalves, the coach, to arrange training camps outside Angola and to travel widely in search of players with Angolan connections around Europe. Even so, much of the squad are from Angola’s semi-professional league.

PLAYER TO WATCH
Pedro Mantorras. The striker became an instant hero at Benfica but he has been dogged by injury for the past four years. Made brief substitute appearances in both Champions League matches against Manchester United this season.

MANAGER
Appointed two years ago, Gonçalves has selected many of the players under his command as coach of the national under-17 and under-20 teams. Angola are the only one of the five African qualifiers for the World Cup to be led by a coach from their own country.

SAVING HIS ENERGY
Joao Ricardo, the first-choice goalkeeper, has been without a club for seven months.

IDENTITY CRISIS
Mantorras on the World Cup finals meeting with Portugal: “It makes me sad because they’re two countries which I like. I’ve promised to my wife and children that if I score a goal I won’t celebrate.”

THE NEW EUSÉBIO
Fabrice Akwa and Mantorras, key figures in the team, have both been known as the “New Eusébio”, having played for Benfica, Eusébio’s former club.

MOST RECENT MEETING WITH ENGLAND
They have never met.

PREMIERSHIP PRESENCE
None. Helder, the Angola-born Portugal defender, spent six months on loan at Newcastle United in 1999-2000.

STAT
Angola are the first Portuguese-speaking African country to qualify for the finals.

PREVIOUS WORLD CUP APPEARANCES
1930-82: Did not enter. 1986-2002: Did not qualify.

GROUP OPPONENTS
Portugal, Mexico, Iran.

PREDICTION
First round.