Luanda - The coach of the National Football Team, Pedro Gonçalves, expressed Thursday, in Luanda, the team's determination to beat Eswatini, with a view to getting points and qualifying for the 2026 World Championship, set to happen in the United States United States, Canada and Mexico.
Speaking at a press conference about the Friday game, at 5pm, at the 11 de Novembro Stadium, in the country's capital, the coach said that after “shining” in Côte d'Ivoire's CAN, they want to take the next step, by beating Eswatini, to fuel the chance of qualifying for the World Cup.
He added that he is aware of the opponent's ability, due to the fact that they run a lot and make long-distance shots, but that they also have weaknesses that the hosts can exploit.
In turn, captain Freddy said that they will enter with “grit” to win the challenge, referring to the group’s motivation.
As for training, the Palancas Negras (Angola national team nickname, Sable Antelopes) ended their field preparation behind closed doors, with 27 players out of the 28 called up, following the absence of Zito Luvumbo due to injury.
Player Nurio Fortuna joined the squad this morning, having trained regularly with the team, which was encouraged by the minister of Youth and Sports, Rui Falcão.
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