Luanda - The Cameroon national team favors physical contact, pace and shots from a long distance and Angola is aware of these aspects ahead of Tuesday's game for 2026 World Cup qualifying group D, Angolan coach Pedro Gonçalves has said.
Speaking in a pre-match press conference Monday in Luanda, the Angolan coach said his team is equipped to deal with setbacks and respond with decisive attacks.
He added that the team is aware of the demands that the opponent may require in the match, given their quality, but that he has confidence in the team's work, regardless of Cameroon's level of experience.
Pedro Gonçalves said this will be a very difficult match and that playing at home could prove decisive due to the support of the public.
Angola’s central midfielder Show on his turn said that although the number of goals is important, the team’s top priority will be to win and get three points.
He emphasized that the team is motivated, and the desire to take the lead is clear, aiming to qualify for Angola's second participation in a World Cup final, after Germany`2026.
In the standings, Angola is in third place with five points, compared to seven for Cameroon, at the top of group D
Libya, with seven points, is in second place. Cape Verde is fourth with four points, Mauritius fifth with one, while Eswatini is sixth with no points.
The African continent will have nine direct qualification places in the expanded world tournament for 48 teams, with CAF deciding to adopt a nine-group format, in which only the winner qualifies for the World Cup, as opposed to the five places previously.
The four best runners-up from the groups will compete in a CAF play-off tournament in November 2025, and the winners of this competition will take part in the FIFA play-off tournament in March 2026, opening up the chance for a tenth African team.
The play-off tournament will involve six teams to decide the last two places in the World Cup. The six teams will be one from each confederation except Europe, and an additional one from the host confederation (CONCACAF).
JAD/MC/DAN/AMP
