| The Angola national football team, nicknamed | | | | president, José Eduardo dos Santos, has now |
| Palancas Negras, ("Black Impalas") is the national team | | | | football in their hearts. Upon arrival in Luanda, the |
| of Angola and is controlled by the | | | | Angolan capital city, after their win against Rwanda, |
| Federação Angolana de Futebol. On | | | | the Angolans gave a "heroes" Welcome to the team |
| October 8, 2005, Angola qualified for the World Cup | | | | with every household celebrating. |
| for the first time ever, when they beat Rwanda 1-0 | | | | Captain Fabrice Akwa scored some crucial goals, |
| in Kigali. The team is coached by the nation's | | | | including the winners against Rwanda in the last |
| favourite Luis Oliveira Goncalves, who had earlier | | | | game, and in the game against Nigeria. Akwa is the |
| successes while managing the Angola Under-20 | | | | fans' favourite having scored 31 goals in 67 |
| National Team. Goncalves took over the men's team | | | | international appearances. "This is the first time we |
| in 2003. Angola entered the World Cup Qualifiers for | | | | are in the finals and we want to show off our |
| the first time in 1986. | | | | football. We also want to show there is more to |
| Angola finished top of Group 4 in the African | | | | Angola than just war and oil," Akwa said. |
| Qualifying Zone. Group 4 was considered one of the | | | | Benfica's striker Pedro Mantorras (Pedro Manuel |
| toughest groups and Angola finished top of the | | | | Torres) is the most famous player outside Angola. |
| group against teams such as Nigeria and Zimbabwe. | | | | However, Mantorras was unfortunate after suffering |
| Angola actually finished with the same points as | | | | an injury, thus missing Angola's last crucial matches. |
| Nigeria, but automatically qualified for the World Cup | | | | Pedro Mantorras has setup a local housing project in |
| 2006, as it had a better record in the head-to-head | | | | Angola for the kids who live on the streets, which he |
| matches. | | | | funds with a fat percentage from his salary. |
| Celebrations and festivities broke out over the entire | | | | Back in 2002, Mantorras received a very serious |
| nation after the team qualified for the first time, in a | | | | injury which threatened his football career. After |
| magnitude only having been experienced before, | | | | 2-years of painful recovery, the player once known |
| during the independence celebrations 30 years ago. | | | | as the new "Eusebio"came back into action in January |
| Every Angolan, from the youngest to the country's | | | | 2006, helping Benfica win the 2004/2005 Superliga. |