Angola 0-0 Venezuela

Heavy rain spoiled what could have been a very interesting match. The end result of the heavy rain was a string of terrible misses by both sides.

The first opportunity of the match fell to Manucho but he could do no better than hit the side netting. The “Vino Tinto” responded with an effort that stretched goalkeeper Lama.

Angola’s best effort in the second half, was a shot by Manucho which hit the woodwork. The best chance of the whole match however, came in the 90th minute when Venezuela had goalkeeper Lama out of the way, only for Loco to clear the ball of the line.

The match also marked the retirement of the Venezuelan central defender Wilfred Alvarado.

On the positive side, Djalma was given a chance on the team, after impressing with his performances for Maritimo in the Portuguese league.
The negative is of course Manucho’s form, who despite creating chances, is still failing to score (The last time he scored for the national team was in the AFCON… and he has not even scored for Man Utd RESERVES yet).
That is without a doubt the downside of being part of a big team. He helped Panathinaikos reach the Champions League by scoring decisive goals that helped them qualify. Unfortunately, he will only watch the Champions League on TV since he is the last choice forward at Man Utd.