Angola Soccer Team FIFA World Cup Germany 2006

Surprising Angola beaten by Portugal

2006-06-12T06:58:00.000-07:00

COLOGNE, Jun 11 (SW) - After an early goal from Pedro Pauleta, Portugal defended their narrow lead to take three points against a surprisingly strong Angola.The match had only just started when Pedro Pauleta rushed down the left side, entered the area and only just missed the target. It would have been one of the fastest World Cup goals ever.0-1 Pauleta 4th minuteBut it would not take much longer for Portugal to take the lead. PSG striker Pauleta received a pass from Luis Figo and did well to score for 0-1.Luckily for Angola, Portugal did not really push for a second quick goal and the Africans even had a few small chances.Akwa tried a bicycle kick in the 12th minute but missed the ball, and a shot, one minute later, was saved by goalkeeper Ricardo.And the Angolan striker insisted on trying overhead kicks, and did it again in the 25th minute. This time he did hit the ball, but lacked precision.The first yellow card of the match went to Cristiano Ronaldo for a tackle in midfield in the 26th minute, and the winger was the victim himself when Jamba was booked two minutes later.Portugal were close to scoring a second in the 35th minute, but Cristiano Ronaldo's header from a corner hit João Ricardo's crossbar.Angola's Andre delivered a dangerous distance shot on goal with two minutes left to play in the first half, but Ricardo did well to save and avoid a goal.The next chance was for Portugal, as Ronaldo struck from the edge of the penalty area. Keeper João Ricardo made a great save however.Just before the half time whistle, Loco fouled playmaker Luis Figo and became the second Angolan player to be booked.In the 52nd minute, Andre committed two fouls within thirty seconds, both on Figo, and the referee was practically forced to book the player.Both teams made a change on the hour mark, with Mantorras replacing Angola captain Akwa, while Cristiano Ronaldo was taken off for Costinha.Angola got dangerous in the 69th minute, when Loco had an opportunity to shoot but the player completely missed the ball and the chance was gone.Portugal continues to attack but Angola's defense looked solid and kept the ball away from João Ricardo's goal.Scolari's men came close to scoring their second goal in the 84th minute, but a Simão header from a Luis Figo free kick went over the crossbar.The Africans gave many Portuguese fans a scare in the 89th minute. Mateus deflected a distance strike but Ricardo saved.That was Angola's last chance however, and Portugal secured a 1-0 victory. It was not convincing, but the Euro 2004 finalists are a step closer to the next round.

Fifa World Cup

2006-06-09T06:42:00.000-07:00

Group D,
Mexico, Iran, Angola, Portugal.

If there is a Group of Death, on the other hand would be a group totally the opposite. Group D is the one in the eye of press and sports bettors. With Mexico and Portugal leading, no surprises are apparently deceiving this group.
Portugal in one hand is very confident about there tactics and preparation period for the World Cup. “We are going into this competition with this idea of winning,” stated coach Scolari. “I don't want to put my side under too much pressure, but we have been fortunate with the first round draw and have to take advantage of that. They have been working aware that the game against Mexico could be the one that decides who comes in first and second place for the next round.
Portugal will be the first opponents for Angola in what will be a game to watch. Angola’s first appearance in a World Cup tournament. The Angolans are unlikely to surprise Portugal but, by the same token, the familiarity could work in their favor as with Senegal and France in 2002. Angola coach Luis Oliveira Goncalves has the trust of his players and their team spirit is strong. Many surprises could arise and first games are always tricky ones. Angola is going forward in a 4-5-1 line-up, and a 4-4-2, if they fall.
Mexico is a well experienced team in World Cups. They qualified comfortably and their warm up games were well performed. An imperative but certainly well handled by Lavolpe Mexico's maverick manager is key. He has long been at war with his local media, but his ability to make key decisions during games could see him build a worldwide reputation in Germany this summer. Mexico appears to be more than ready for Germany 2006; a squad to keep track of.
Iran, after much consolidated warm up games; are very excited with these opening games and round 1. Even they know their chances are vague but are prepare to represent in the best way there nation. Like Angola, Iran will start out as underdogs but on their third finals appearance, they should benefit from several of their key players; including Hamburg playmaker Mehdi Mahdavikia. They beat the United States in France 98 and will probably have to record another famous win if they are to go into their final match against Angola with hope of progressing.

World Cup: Angola's top priority defense

2006-06-05T14:19:00.000-07:00

Angola's top priority before it faces Portugal in the first round of the fifa world cup will be strengthening its defense. And the United States will be its first test.
Angola, one of four African teams making its World Cup debut in Germany, will play its final warmup match against the Americans on Monday without fans or media present.
On Friday, the Black Antelopes lost to Turkey 3-2, giving up a late goal.
"It's true that there was a problem of defense. They defended badly, so the defenders are the most to blame," Angola coach Luis Oliveira Goncalves said. "But it's not just the defenders. The team as a whole needs to concentrate harder."
Angola, considered the weakest team in Group D, has lost all its World Cup warmup games. The team also struggled at the African Cup of Nations earlier this year, losing to Cameroon and Congo before being eliminated despite beating Togo.
Hardly a strong way to prepare for the toughest competition in the sport.
"The coach is concentrating a lot on defense because that's the most concerning aspect of our game at the moment," defender Delgado said Sunday.
Goalkeeper Joao Ricardo said there is still time to improve, however, particularly against the United States in Hamburg.
"It's important for us not to suffer in this game," Ricardo said. "When people lose, they are never happy."
U.S. assistant coach Glenn Myernick thought it was important for the Americans to see another opponent before their June 12 opener. Their last warmup was May 28.
"There's no substitute for just playing and playing against some different faces besides your teammates," Myernick said. "It will add a little bit to the match fitness situations, and anytime you can play, it's better than any training session we can put on.
"To go from our last game against Latvia to our first game against the Czech Republic would be too long a time without a competitive situation. Let's be competitive, but let's not be foolish in our challenges."
After playing Portugal in Cologne, Angola will face Mexico and Iran. But the players acknowledge that playing their former colonial rulers holds its own challenges.
"For us, Angola, to face Portugal, it's true we feel a bit anxious," midfielder Edson de Jesus Nobre said. "But at the time of the game, we'll be ready to face them. And in football, sometimes, weaker teams beat stronger teams."
Angola and Portugal have met twice, with four Angolan players sent off for brutal tackles and dissent the last time they played five years ago in Lisbon. That game was abandoned with 20 minutes remaining.
"We are preparing ourselves for the game, but Portugal has world-class players. It's hard to say where their weaknesses lie," Nobre said.
"We are going to try and surprise the world," Ricardo said.

Angola vs. Portugal FIFA World Cup, Group D

2006-06-01T10:55:00.000-07:00

The Angolan national soccer team, nicknamed Palancas Negras, ("Black Impalas") is controlled by the Federação Angolana de Futebol. On October 8, 2005, Angola qualified for the World Cup for the first time ever.
Luis Oliveira Goncalves took over as coach of the Angola national soccer team in 2003, after successful appearances with the Angolan Under-20 national soccer team. The coach is the nation's favorite and the team managed to finish in first place of Group 4 Soccer World Cup 2006 (qualification), ahead of traditional African soccer powers like the Nigeria national soccer team and the Zimbabwe national soccer team. Group 4 was considered one of the toughest during the qualifying bouts.
Captain Fabrice Akwa scored some crucial goals, including the winners against Rwanda in the last game; in the game against the Nigeria national soccer team. Akwa is the fans' favorite having scored 30 goals in 67 international appearances. "This is the first time we are in the finals and we want to show off our football. We also want to show there is more to Angola than just war and oil," Akwa said.
Angola's best known player is the striker Pedro Mantorras, who plays for the Portuguese team Benfica, favorite in Sportsbook odds almost always in their national league.
The Portugal national soccer team is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF).
Portugal has never won any major competition at senior level only qualifying four times for the World Cup. Their first World Cup appearance was in 1966 where the Portuguese gave their best performance ever. In that year they reached the semifinals and lost only to the eventual world champions England. Portugal finished in third place and Eusébio was considered the best player of the tournament.
The next two times Portugal qualified for the World Cup were for the 1986 and 2002 World Cup competitions with Portugal going out in the first round both times. Now they have also qualified for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
In order to improve their performance the Portuguese Football Federation decided to hire Luiz Felipe Scolari, the Brazilian who had led the Brazil International team to win the World Cup 2002. Later Scolari led Portugal to the final of Euro 2004 (The European Championships), where they lost to Greece.

Angola lose to Argentina

2006-05-31T07:18:00.000-07:00

The Angolan national soccer squad lost to Argentina by 0-2 in Salermo, Italy. This was a preparation match for the Germany 2006 World Cup.

The Soccer World Cup will beginning on June 09 to July 09. The former World Champions goals were scored by Maxi Rodriguez, in 28 minutes and Sorin in 36.The Angolan soccer squad’s (nickname Palancas Negras) next opponents for friendly games will be Turkey and the United States of America.The African World Cup debutants are in group D, with Portugal, Mexico and Iran.

Eto’o: An Africa Team can Win Fifa World Cup 2006

2006-05-24T10:54:00.000-07:00

I’ve been reading so much about how no one things that the teams from Africa are any good this World Cup that it is nice to read that someone has some faith in the teams.
“I think all the African teams that are there are there for a reason. They have the means to live their dreams and go all the way. But they need to believe,” Eto’o told Reuters.
Believe is the key word. Angola need to believe that they deserve to be at the World Cup and that they have the team to compete with anyone. They need to ignore the critics and just focus on playing the best as a team.
I believe this can done. I believe in the Palancas. We all need to believe!

The World Cup Preview

2006-05-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

By Graham Harvey
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

America loves “World Champions”.

Baseball has “The World Classic”, NFL crowns its version at the Superbowl, and the NBA finds theirs after a grueling season.

However, this summer all these “local” events fade into insignificance when you realize that every country on this planet will be talking about, reading, and watching “THE World Cup” – no exceptions!

It’s taken time for a country that exports its culture to import the World’s favorite game. Even in 1994, those “funny men” running on grass in “silk pyjamas” did not catch John Doe’s imagination in America’s heartland.

So what’s all the fuss about every four years when the world goes crazy and falls into a footballing trance while America carries on with their summer sports?

Well, “The World Cup” embodies more than a team trying to win. Footballers transform into “warriors” – national heroes – and the football pitch becomes more than a piece of turf, it’s a battleground for global supremacy.

The World Cup is the only event where a team represents a country and 100% of its population gets behind them and lives every kick, breathes every goal, and cries at every defeat.

As one famous British manager once told a reporter, "Someone said 'football is more important than life and death to you' and I said 'Listen, it's more important than that'."

Footballers have been shot dead for missing penalties, and two nations went to war over a football match (El Salvador and Honduras).

It’s the “global game” – that’s why American companies scramble to push their products into every country via this competition. Look at Coca-Cola, Yahoo, and McDonalds – as you guys say, “They’ve got game!”

So, who’s going to win?

Of course, being English – you would think I would say England. But sadly, after “our” coach (well – he is Swedish really) got caught out by a number of faux pas like having close bedtime relations with an FA secretary (who also had intimate relationships with other high ranking members) who spilled the beans to a “fake Sheikh” in Dubai about the team and then had “secret” meetings (well, secret enough that Britain’s famous media hounds snapped photos of Sven going into these “secret” meetings) with top domestic clubs.

You can see why your average “Brit” thinks Sven’s mind is not focused on the World Cup Germany 2006.

In fact, after all these little snags, the FA decided to wish him “Good luck and goodbye”.
Now, in your job – if your company says, “we’ve got a major launch happening and then you’re fired after it”, are you actually going to go the “Whole Ten Yards?” Not likely.

In fact, the whole footballing world will be packed into one nation. Deals will be done for players, and it is not against the realms of reality that while Sven is thinking about where he will be in August, his agent will be on the mobile phone talking to rich European clubs about Sven’s future employment.

Now, what would you rather focus on – an employer’s ultimate dream after already firing you or a shiny new multi-million dollar contract with one of Europe’s richest clubs? Go figure!

For the duration of the World Cup, teams take over hotels and make them secure camps. So, within this secure zone, if you see Sven on the practice pitch or walking around the hotel with his mobile close by – it could be suggested that he is not waiting for Nancy (his other half) to call him to update him on missed episodes of “Lost” or “Desperate Housewives”!

So who can win the Cup? Well, obviously it would be boring to say “Brazil”. But sadly, the talent within the side is amazing and a repeat of 2002 Japan’s victory is on the cards.

What about another European challenge? Well, everyone knows Italy has a great footballing history. However, the sport is in crisis – it’s so bad that Sven talking to another football club about joining them whilst under contract with the FA – is small fry when you consider what has surfaced in Italy.

OK, think about this and I’ll put it in American sporting terms. Of course, before any American lawyers start firing off writs to me – I am not saying that any of the following could or would happen in the NFL. But consider what the outcry would be if the New England Patriots were stripped of their two Superbowl titles. Or if the owner, Robert Kraft, dictated who the on-field umpires would be for all their matches. Or picture the Patriots’ owner locking umpires in their dressing rooms after a game because they didn’t give “favourable” decisions, the owner’s son running the most influential sports agency in NFL, and this same man dictating who gets bought and sold within the whole NFL community. What would happen if the Pats’ leading QB admits to gambling on NFL matches although it is banned? Then the NFL chief commissioner resigns, and to cap it all George “Dubya” Bush takes some time off from his “crusade” in the Middle East to appoint a new commissioner to oversee the “damaged” sport.

This scenario is exactly what has happened in the past month in Italy. The Azzuri are truly “blue” and the dark cloud of corruption hangs over the Italian dream – there’s too much baggage being taken to Germany.

So, if you discard England and Italy – two of the favourites – where are the dark horses to run against the thoroughbred Brazilians? Holland and Spain usually turn up, and when everyone thinks they’ll be the “belles of the ball” – they trip up on the global dance floor and never see it out to the end. France are always a side that oozes class. Thierry Henry is in his prime, Gallas and many other EPL stars are at their peak – but can eleven stars gel into one cohesive unit? Germany for a month will tell.

The minnows always have no chance. Sorry Trinidad & Tobago, Saudi Arabia et al.

The winner is easy to predict – it is always the football fan that feasts on this extravaganza. The team that lifts the trophy – well – you always want a pundit to give his opinion and take a good stance. I apologise, but yes, I am realistic and yes, I know my football and yes, I want to be next to a young nubile Brazilian girl when they lift The World Cup on July 9th, 2006!

Angola: World Cup: National Team Players Undergo Medical Tests

2006-05-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

A general medical observation on Tuesday in Luanda set the start of tests of players of Angola's national soccer team, ahead of the country's participation in the Germany 2006 World Cup from June 09-July 09.
Of the 23 players summoned, plus three reserves, Flavio with Al Ahly of Egypt and Andre' Macanga (Koweit S.C.) were absent, being expected in the country on Thursday.
A member of the medical team told Angop the tests will go until Wednesday.
"No abnormality has been detected in the tests so far carried out," said the source that wished the best for the boys who are tasked with representing Angola in the World Cup.
The national team will have to do without the aid of midfielder Gilberto, with Al Ahly of Egypt, and striker Maurito (Al Wahda Sport Club) of Saudi Arabia, both for injury.
On Wednesday, after the final medical tests, the players will meet with the technical team and with the management of the Angolan Football Federation (FAF).

The trip to Hannonver, where the national team will put up during the first stage of the competition will be on Friday.
The first training in Germany territory will take place on Saturday, ahead of a friendly match with Argentina on May 30.
Angola will play their debut match on June 11 with Portugal, in a group that includes Mexico and Iran.

Sports Minister Fraternizes With National Team Coach

2006-05-09T11:16:00.000-07:00

The coordinator of the inter-ministerial commission that is preparing the participation of Angola in Germany 2006 World Cup, scheduled to kick off on June 9th, Marcos Barrica, will on Tuesday at Endima Complex fraternize with the national soccer squad`s technical team led by coach Oliveira Gonçalves.

ANGOP has learnt that the Sports and Youth Minister will transmit to the national team coach and his assistants the thought of the Government regarding the participation, for the first time, of the country in a final phase of the world tournament. It is foreseen on Wednesday, a press conference at the headquarters of Sports and Youth Ministry, where Mr Barrica will brief on the work already carried out in favour of the preparation of the national delegation that will be present in Germany. On Friday, Marcos Barrica met with members of the National Assembly (AN) Sixth Commission that deals, among others, with sport matters. Angola is in Group D along with the national teams of Portugal, Iran and Mexico.

FIFA World Cup

2006-05-02T11:05:00.000-07:00

Angola’s first attempt to qualify for the FIFA World Cup finals was for Mexico 86’, six attempts later they finally classify for Germany 2006.

The "Black Impalas" as this team was nicknamed, drawn in Group 4 of the African Zone, Angola narrowly succeeded in snatching the sole ticket from beneath the noses of the all-powerful Nigerians.

From the start of the Group 4 qualifiers, however, the Angolans showed they could dominate teams at home, a factor which was unquestionably the cornerstone of their success. The Cidadela stadium in Luanda soon acquired stronghold status, as one by one, their group rivals came unstuck, including the Nigerian Super Eagles. Courtesy of this solid domestic form, the Angolans knew that if they could gather a few good results in their travels, qualification could be theirs.

And they did, they qualify to the World Cup in Germany, the whole country waits in expectation for their team’s first participation and hoping their national team to have a good performance in Germany.

Their hero on the pitch, Akwa, as well as having a nose for decisive goals, also displays quite a way with words in splendidly summing up the great Angolan adventure: "We have proved that Angola is not just about oil, war and poverty."

Pereira Joao Ricardo, Jose Ze Kalanga, Manuel Sebastian Angelo, Titi Buengo, Nando Petro Goliath, Francisco Zuela, Antonio Lebo-Lebo, Manuel Loco, Marco Airosa, Ze Augusto, Manuel Rui Marques, Jojo, Joao Jamba, Fabrice Akwa, Pereira Jacinto, de Jesus Edson, Carlos Kali, Norberto Maurito, Luis Delgado, Johnson Macaba, Abreu Marco, Amado Flavio, Marcos Milloy, Arsenio Love, Paulo Figueiredo, Antonio Mendonca, Andre Macanga.

Angola captain Akwa named country's top sportsman

2006-04-24T10:14:00.000-07:00

Angola captain Akwa was named the country's top sportsman for 2005 at a ceremony in Luanda on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old striker, who is searching for a club after having his contract in Qatar cancelled, was handed the award after scoring the goal that ensured a first FIFA World Cup™ finals place for Angola.
Akwa got the only goal of the win in Rwanda last October that enabled Angola to finish ahead of Nigeria in their qualifying group.
AS Aviacao defender Jamba was named Angola's best home-based player and the Al Ahli winger Gilberto as the country's best foreign-based footballer. The awards were organised by Angolan radio.
It was the second successive year that Gilberto had taken his award after helping his Egyptian club to win last year's African Champions League.
Ze Kalanga was named newcomer of the year. He is also expected to be part of the country's squad at the FIFA World Cup finals in Germany starting on 9 June where Angola have been grouped with Portugal, Mexico and Iran.

Angola to meet US in finals warm-up

2006-04-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

Angola have announced their final FIFA World Cup™ warm-up schedule with three friendlies in six days before they play their opening game at the tournament.
The Angola Football Federation has arranged friendly matches against Argentina in Naples, Italy on 31 May, against Saudi Arabia in Leverkusen, Germany on 2 June and a first-ever meeting with the United States in Hamburg on 5 June.
The Angolans have already scheduled a game against a Catalan select team in Barcelona on 15 May and next month play in the regional Cosafa Castle Cup tournament in Lesotho.
Angola's first match at the FIFA World Cup finals is against Portugal in Cologne on 11 June. They also meet Iran and Mexico in the first round.

Mantorras still in contention despite criticism of coach

2006-04-11T10:33:00.000-07:00

Benfica striker Mantorras remains in contention for a place in Angola's FIFA World Cup™ squad, coach Luis Oliveira Goncalves said on Friday, despite the striker's stinging criticism of the coach after the CAF African Nations Cup finals earlier this year.
Oliveira Goncalves told reporters that Mantorras was among those being considered for selection for the southern African country's first trip to the FIFA World Cup.
Mantorras had been critical of Oliveira Goncalves after January's Nations Cup finals in Egypt where the coach only used the Benfica forward in two matches as a second-half substitute.
Oliveira Goncalves said he was almost certain of his final selection of 23 players for the tournament in Germany, which have to be submitted to FIFA by 15 May.
"I have a list of 40 and gradually will cut this down to 26 before the last phase of preparations. But I have no uncertainty about the possible make up of the 23 for the World Cup," he told the ANGOP news agency.
Angola play their first FIFA World Cup match against Portugal in Cologne on 11 June. They also have Iran and Mexico in their first-round group.

Angola bring forward Argentina friendly

2006-04-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

Angola have brought forward their FIFA World Cup™ friendly against Argentina in Naples by one day to avoid a clash with Italy's match against Switzerland, the Angolan Football Federation said on Wednesday.
Angola and Argentina, both preparing for the FIFA World Cup finals in Germany, will now meet in Naples on 30 May. Italy play Switzerland in Geneva the following day.
The match against Argentina is one of three that the Angolans have finalised in an updated programme of preparation. They have dropped plans for a game in mid-May against a Catalan select side in Barcelona and will now play Turkey instead of Saudi Arabia in Germany on 2 June.
Angola's friendly against the US in Norderstedt, near Hamburg, on 5 June remains unchanged but officials said it would be played behind closed doors.
Angola's campaign at the FIFA World Cup finals begins on 11 June against Portugal in Cologne. Iran and Mexico are also in their opening round group.

Not so friendly for the Africans

2006-03-31T13:19:00.000-08:00

Four matches, four defeats and pretty bad odds for the African World Cup squads. Two goals for and six against. The African teams had a hard time of it in their warm-up matches on 1 March and perhaps the only consolation is that Togo managed to avoid defeat - by not playing.
However, one glance at the opposition for the African teams – who, in the most part, have surpassed expectations in qualifying for the FIFA World Cup™ in the first place - puts things into perspective and should alleviate some of the gloom. While finals regulars Tunisia no doubt thought that they would be a match for Serbia and Montenegro, the three other sides in action - Angola, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana - merely showed their lack of experience against more battle-hardened opponents.
Playing Korea Republic in Seoul, Angola struggled to adapt to weather conditions that could hardly be described as African. The Palancas Negras, as they are known, found themselves on a pitch covered in snow. "We had to play two different opponents," said coach Luis Oliveira Goncalves after the match, "Korea, and the weather. We've just qualified for our first World Cup and we're still making progress, step by step."
After Park Chu-Young had opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, Angola found themselves chasing the game, but without their star midfielder Figueiredo, this task proved beyond them. Still, Angola have a number of matches ahead of them before they get to Germany, and facing Argentina, Australia, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland between 19 May and 5 June will be the best possible preparation.
Ghana were also a long way from home in Texas, where they lost to a Mexico side led by a buoyant Guillermo Franco. The Black Stars were on the back foot for most of the game, but nevertheless held out until a quarter of an hour from the end, before Franco, who plies his trade for Villarreal in Spain, finally breached the Africans' defence.
Taking into account both the quality of the opposition and the long trip to the United States to play the game, Ghana need not be too glum about this defeat although they will need to show far more enterprise this summer if they are to hold out any hope against their impressive-looking Group E opponents, Italy, USA and Czech Republic.

Failing to take the game to the opposition was also Tunisia's downfall when they took on Serbia and Montenegro in Rades. Roger Lemerre's Carthage Eagles found themselves a goal behind after Mateja Kezman's 11th-minute strike and from that point onwards, the Serbo-Montenegrins closed down the midfield. Tunisia thereafter found themselves playing a long-ball game, which is a far from ideal solution when your forwards are the lithe but far from lofty Ziad Jaziri (1.71m) and Francileudo Santos (1.72m).
Bordeaux's David Jemmali was lively on his Tunisian debut, and did his chances of making the final squad of 23 for Germany no harm at all. It is highly likely that Lemerre's squad for this summer will bear marked similarities to the one he took to Egypt for the CAF African Cup of Nations earlier this year.
Elephants pay for mistakesOf all the African finalists, expectations are perhaps highest for Côte d'Ivoire, but they were brought back down to earth with a bump against Spain. Didier Drogba and his team-mates did have their moments, however, in a see-saw match in Valladolid. The Elephants were on the back foot for most of the game, but somehow took the lead on two occasions and at times showed real solidity at the back.
At other times, however, lapses in concentration led to some flagrant defensive errors, and the Spaniards took full advantage to win 3-2. Coach Henri Michel, who attended the FIFA World Cup workshop in Dusseldorf on 6-7 March, spoke to FIFAworldcup.com about his mixed feelings after the match. "We let in three goals that we shouldn't have, which is a shame, and I told the players so.
"We didn't play well, and yet we almost came back from Spain with a result, which proves that my team has a lot of potential. There is still a lot of room for improvement, however, particularly when it comes to eliminating defensive errors." Without Arsenal's Kolo Toure, this frailty at the back was perhaps predictable. Up front, however, Lille striker Abdulkader Keita was given a run-out and he very much seized his chance, opening the scoring in the 13th minute.
While the 2006 FIFA World Cup may still seem a long way off, now is the time for teams to start picking up their game. These defeats will no doubt have given the various African teams a clearer idea of what they have left to do. And moreover, what not to do.

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