"Even when some people are suspicious of what we are doing here, we let them play and enjoy themselves. The players are calm with me, because they know that anything that goes wrong is the 'coach's' fault, so they are comfortable playing, competing and putting on a show. Despite the goal difference, I think we left an excellent impression. It was a growing trend and it is a shame there are no more games, because I believe that, in the next one, perhaps, we could get those three points", said the coach, Marcos Antunes.
At the end of the match, in the mixed zone of the Humo Arena, in Tashkent, the Portuguese coach stressed that, in terms of quality, the balance is positive, although the objectives outlined were not achieved, after two defeats against Afghanistan (6-4) and Ukraine (7-2).
"I had higher expectations of what we could do, but what always remains is the final image and what we can do in the future. There is a lot of work to be done now in Angola, especially reorganising the competitions and bringing more competitions and more kids to this sport. This is a national effort that we have to continue doing and continue to spread the name of Angola, because today it was clear that everyone in the world already knows Angola in futsal", said the 48-year-old Portuguese.
The start against the world runner-up was personalized, with two goals in the first two minutes in a total surprise, leading by 2-0 and 3-1, before the South American reaction, with Marcos Antunes stating his goal to be an African reference.
"Until 2028, it is unclear what will happen with this project and who will be in charge, but the foundations have been laid, there is already strong sustainability and the international recognition is undeniable. We have not had any victories, but Angola's name is all over the world. The pavilion was shouting for Angola, because we have an exciting game. There is no point in predicting great futures if we do not look at the continental part. Our goal is to be the best in Africa. After that, we can dream about the rest", he stressed.
This was the second consecutive World Cup for the Angolan futsal team, continuing the search for a first historic triumph, after the participation in Lithuania also ended in three defeats against Japan (8-4), Paraguay (4-1) and Spain (4-1).
