Akwa to play alone up and front for Angolan minnows
June 05, 2006 Edition 1
Celle: Angola will be pinning its goalscoring hopes on striker Fabrice Akwa as the lone forward in its World Cup opener former colonial ruler Portugal.
The Black Antelopes will play with one attacking player and five midfielders, changing from the 4-4-2 system they used during their disastrous performance at the African Cup of Nations in Egypt this year, captain Akwa said at the weekend.
"As it's new, we're still getting used to it, adapting ourselves to this style of game so we can be prepared for the game against Portugal. But we don't have much time left to get ready," Akwa said.
"The coach thinks it's better for us. As a player, I have to accept and respect his tactical option. But as we're adapting to a new system, we have to concentrate harder,"
Midfielder Paulo Figueiredo, who plays for second-division Portuguese team Varzim, said he was ready to help Akwa score.
"Of course, from where I play, there are sometimes opportunities to mark goals but my main function is to give the game to Akwa," he said.
Angola, regarded as the weakest team in Group D, will face Portugal on June 11, followed by Mexico and Iran.
Speaking from the Netherlands, where Angola will face Turkey in a friendly, Akwa said a rigorous training programme headed by coach Luis Oliveira Goncalves was going well.
"The players are all working hard and the mood in the team is good. We're all motivated for a good World Cup as it's important not only for Angola but for Africa as a whole," he said.
Angola's 2-0 loss to Argentina in Tuesday's friendly had been "a good test" and the Palancas would be looking to pick up tactical clues from its remaining warmup matches with Turkey and the United States.
"(Turkey's) a strong team and I think it should help to prepare us for our game against Iran as they play similar football," he said.
"I think the friendly against the US, like the one we played against Argentina, will help to prepare us for the game against Mexico. It will help us to adapt to the Latin American style, so that we don't get sprung with too many surprises," he added.
At the African Cup of Nations, Angola played Cameroon, Togo and Congo. The team beat only winless Togo in its final group match and failed to qualify for the quarter-finals. In World Cup qualifying, Akwa scored the goal against Rwanda which helped to Angola qualify ahead of Nigeria. - Sapa-AP
