| Facts : |
| • |
In 1986 Angola signed up for
the FIFA World Cup™ qualifying rounds
for the first time. To date the former Portuguese
colony has yet to reach the finals. |
| • |
On their debut Angola failed narrowly against
Algeria, while four years later they were
beaten by Cameroon. A single victory in the
next round of qualifiers against Togo was
insufficient to keep their finals dream alive,
while in the 1998 qualifiers even four victories
was not enough to take them through. |
| • |
Despite permanent underdog status against
stronger African teams, Angola's performance
improved in subsequent years. In 2000 they
celebrated a record 7-1 triumph over Swaziland
before finishing second in their qualifying
group behind Cameroon. In the preliminary
qualifiers for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Angola
battled their way past Chad. |
