The 30 players called up for this first preparation stage are: Gomito (GR), Dennis (GR), Nelsinho (GR), Laélcio (GR), Any (left wing), Bráulio (right wing), Bustah (universal), Carlos (fixed), César (pivot), Chico (fixed), Diogo (pivot), Helber (right wing), Hornes (pivot), Kaluanda (universal), Kliverth (wing/pivot), Lélio (pivot), Levi (wing left), Mano (left wing), Osvaldo (universal), Pesado (right wing), Prado (wing/pivot), Tito (wing/universal), Zipa (pivot); Dias (left winger), Kota (fixed), Paulo Ricardo (fixed), Adérito (winger/pivot), Bruno Mendes (pivot), Nuno (universal) and Reveldinho (fixed).
The preparation work for the national team will include playing games against the best futsal teams in the provinces where the internship will take place.
The team's objective for the African Futsal Championship (CAN), taking place between the 8th and 17th of April in Morocco, is to finish in the top three places, which will give access to the Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan.
"The main challenges are above all the working conditions in relation to other countries that hold international games, have internships in Europe, and much more support and sponsors. But with what we have and with a lot of desire and dedication, we will be able to carry out a CAN of Futsal meets our expectations", says coach Marcos Antunes.
The teams from Angola, Morocco and Egypt have already qualified for the African Futsal Championship. At the beginning of February, a qualifying phase will take place with the presence of 10 teams, to qualify the five that will join them for the final phase of CAN.
"As sponsor of the national futsal team, Centrooptico could not fail to be side by side with the 'Cinco' Nacional in this phase of preparation for the CAN, a competition in which we believe that Angola will fight and achieve its objectives ", says Lourenço Mussango, Communication Manager at Centrooptico, highlighting the involvement in the Nzoji Project.
Launched in February 2023 by the Angolan Futsal Football Federation (FAFUSA), the Nzoji Project aims to bring about social and civic change for children and adolescents in vulnerable situations in Angola. The lines of action of the project, led by coach Marcos Antunes, are focused on the areas of education, health and well-being, social integration, gender equity, child leadership, peacebuilding, improving the environment and hygiene, and professional insertion.
As a sponsor, Centrooptico has ensured visual health care for the children and adolescents who are part of this project, by carrying out free visual screenings for children who play futsal, offering prescription glasses to those who need them and annual monitoring, and carrying out free visual screenings in schools that join the project. Centrooptico has also guaranteed the provision of a school kit (backpack, pencils, pens, notebooks, caps, among others) to Nzoji players.
For Lourenço Mussango, the partnership between the leader in the optics sector in Angola and the national futsal team "has been very fruitful and with very satisfactory results in terms of support and monitoring for athletes and children who practice the sport", being one of the main Centrooptico's objectives "reinforce the commitment to the development of sport in Angola, particularly the growth of futsal".
As part of the partnership between Centrooptico and the national team, protocols are being finalized with FAFUSA, to be signed shortly, which will make Centrooptico one of the main sponsors of the futsal sport in Angola.
