For Angola to qualify for the 2024 world championship, to be held in Uzbekistan, it will have to be on the podium of the continental competition. According to the coach, that's exactly what the objective is, to secure a ticket to the World Cup.
"The objective is to qualify for the world championship. We're going to maintain our success and we're going to fight. Afterwards, whoever is more competent will be champion", said Marcos Antunes, quoted by the newspaper Ojogo.
So, with the World Cup in the background, the coach made a pre-call for 23 players for CAN. However, according to the same newspaper, this list will still undergo changes: until they travel to Morocco, on March 28, the coach will reduce the list from 23 to 14 players.
In this pre-convocation, Marcos Antunes decided to bet on youth, with the convener having many young people, whose action he considered "a measured risk".
Marcos Antunes reiterated that they do not intend to go to CAN to "stroll" and that the objective is to "win".
"We know the players we have. I don't want to go there for a walk, I want to win. There are times when it makes more sense to tear up the past. For me there are no ages, there is competence. These younger players are approaching it in a different way this national representation. This brings them more intensity in training, more desire to win, more internal competitiveness", he stated, quoted by Ojogo.
In CAN, the national futsal team is part of group A, which is also made up of the host team Morocco, Zambia and Ghana.
Until they embark for Morocco, at the end of this month, the national team began preparing, this Wednesday, in the Kilamba pavilion. According to the coach, cited by Angop, at the competition venue, friendly games are expected to take place before the start of the CAN.
The list of 23 pre-call-ups includes goalkeepers Laelcio, Gomito, Nelson Pereira, Dinilson Inácio, Osvaldo Kaluanda and Anicleny Manuel. Also included in the pre-call, according to Angop, are the players Adérito Santos, Helber Garcia, Valdemiro Garcia, Paulo Ricardo, Osvaldo Carvalho, Carlos Neto, Francisco Gabriel, Kliverth Fernandes, António Dias, Vadilson Dias, Braúlio Fontoura, Gaspar Celestino, Edileuson Katimba, Reveldinho Santos, Homes Santos, João Cambangula and Anderson.
