Africa-Press – Angola. With the aim of qualifying for the 2024 World Cup, 23 players were pre-summoned this Tuesday, in Luanda, for the National Futsal Team, aiming for the African Championship, to be played from 11 to April 21, in Rabat (Morocco).
During the announcement, at a press conference, national coach Marcos Antunes pointed to the podium as his objective and consequently guaranteeing access to the World Cup, despite having a group of mostly young players.
He added that the group will work hard to, at least, maintain third place in the 2020 edition, also held in Morocco, a classification that allows them to qualify for the 2024 World Championship, in Uzbekistan.
As for the opponents in the first phase of the African Cup, the coach foresees greater difficulties in the games against Zambia and Ghana.
He explained that the challenges against the two countries mentioned will be more difficult because they frequently compete at an international level, while Angola has limited itself to domestic matches since the 2020 World Cup.
The National Team, which appears in Group A, with Morocco, Zambia and Ghana, begins its preparations this Wednesday at the Kilamba pavilion, and should conclude on the 28th of this month, the day it goes to the stage of the competition.
At the event location, according to Marcos Antunes, friendly games are planned, before the start of the continental competition.
In history, Angola participates in the African futsal tournament for the fourth time, after the 2008 edition, in Libya, in which it failed to reach the quarter-finals, finishing 3rd, in Group B, with seven points.
He was also in 2016, in South Africa, in which he did not progress to the next stage, occupying 4th place, without scoring.
The biggest showing took place in 2020, in Morocco, where it achieved an unprecedented third position.
The national pre-selection is made up of: Laelcio, Gomito, Nelson Pereira, Dinilson Inácio, Osvaldo Kaluanda and Anicleny Manuel (goalkeepers).
Adérito Santos, Helber Garcia, Valdemiro Garcia, Paulo Ricardo, Osvaldo Carvalho, Carlos Neto, Francisco Gabriel and Kliverth Fernandes (field players)
António Dias, Vadilson Dias, Braúlio Fontoura, Gaspar Celestino, Edileuson Katimba, Reveldinho Santos, Homes Santos, João Cambangula and Anderson Fortes (field players).
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