Africa-Press – Angola. The National Football Team of Honors seeks today, at 17:00, at Estádio 11 de Novembro, against the Central African Republic (RCA), to start with victory the walk towards the CAN next year, in Ivory Coast. The challenge refers to the first round of Group E of the qualifiers.
Both teams have a history of balanced games. The last time they faced each other, in 2016, Angolans and Central Africans shared the number of victories, with the national team winning 4-0, in a game played in Lubango, and losing in Bangui, opposing ground, by 3-1.
Despite having played on only two occasions, for the CAN qualifiers, the two teams know each other perfectly and are leading levels of growth.
Ment, translated by the positions they currently occupy in the African ranking, with a slight advantage for the Palancas Negras, who are positioned in 35th place, ahead of the antagonists, in position 36.
It is therefore awaited a highly disputed game, from start to finish, in which the Angolans will naturally have to take the initiative in the game. Angola faces with great ambition the objective of creating all the conditions for its presence in the next CAN to become a reality.
However, the intention of the Palancas to supplant the RCA as a whole is not easy. The Central African team has already proved to be a team in constant growth, so it shouldn’t be easy prey.
Coach Pedro Gonçalves insisted, yesterday, during the press conference, that he was confident in his players. He admits that he will face enormous difficulties in the face of RCA, but guarantees that he has a team willing to counteract any adversities.
It is expected, however, that the Angolan team will stand out for the voluntarism of their midfield, where the qualities of Fredy and Hélder Costa stand out, two very creative units, who add art and ingenuity to the football of the national team.
In attack, references to Gelson Dala and Ary Papel are inevitable. The duo has enough quality to cause enormous embarrassment to any defense, mainly due to the great sense of opportunity they reveal and a clear intimate relationship with the opposing goals.
In the CAR as a whole, data indicate that the offensive capacity is also a very strong variable and that Angola should beware of, to avoid being surprised or suffering a strong setback at home.
Eleven Likely
The team that starts playing against RCA should not be far from the team used by Pedro Gonçalves, recently, in the qualifiers for the Qatar World Cup. In other words, Hugo Marques should be the goalkeeper, with the goalkeeper being supported by the defensive quartet composed of Buatu and Kialonga Gaspar, in the center, and Eddie Afonso and Tó Carneiro (or Nurio Fortuna), on the sides.
In midfield, considered the “brain” of execution of the entire strategy, Show, Fredy, Hélder Costa and Estrela should line up, while Ary Papel and Gelson Dala should be the most advanced units of the national team.
Coach Makes Victory Speech
Pedro Gonçalves appeared, yesterday, at the press conference, to preview today’s game, against RCA, with an expression of confidence. The coach of the Palancas Negras guaranteed to have prepared the team for the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent.
“We want to start the campaign with a victory. Unlike other African teams, it is not so easy to get a lot of information from RCA, but we use the available data. We went to analyze what the previous games are and their characteristics”, said the clarify, Pedro Gonçalves.
“In training sessions we try to warn players about these characteristics and strengths and also about weaknesses, but our focus is on ourselves. We will try to explore their weaknesses and be prepared for what are the strengths and characteristics of the more direct play, low block, quick exits for counter-attack situations and the second balls on our defense”, he added. , be stronger in the offensive process and competent to translate actions into goals.
“We have a backbone that is already being developed and it cannot fail to be like this when it comes to a selection. We are always following the form of each player, but we cannot lose the previous work”.
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