Candidates for Angola’s vacant manager post

October 18th, 2008 | By: kiko | No Comments »

The next Angolan coach will have a difficult task ahead of him. The next competitive match that Angola will play will be the first group match of the AFCON- But the scariest thing for the new manager is that the team is expected to at least get to the semi-finals. Is there a clearer example of over-expectation? (Excluding the England fans and the hype of winning the WC, of course).

The FA has agreed that a Portuguese speaking manager would be first choice as it would be easier for him to communicate with the players.
Here is a list of the possible candidates (I have a feeling that they will choose someone totally different).

Manuel Jose- Portuguese and currently the manager of Al- Ahly in Egypt. He is highly respected and would be a decent choice.

Bernardino Pedroto- Portuguese with Angolan league experience. Currently with Petro Atletico. Respected by the fans following his success with ASA.

Mario Calado- Angolan and currently the manager of Primeiro de Agosto. If given the job, it would be his second stint with the National team. He is definitely not the answer to the team’s questions and most people would agree with that affirmation. His surname “Calado” means quiet in Portuguese. This is exactly what the team does not need- a quiet manager (although I am not sure he is entirely quiet).

Brazilian managers are also being linked with the job since their share the same language.

The fans are expecting the Angolan FA to hire a high quality manager. To achieve that they would need to spend a good amount of cash (they can certainly afford it!).

The fans are doing their bit by putting the pressure on. There are even jokes running that the FA will hire a Chinese manager to avoid spending too much.

Angola needs a good tactician and a manager who will keep calm in difficult situations. As soon as the manager is chosen, it would be a good idea to play as many friendly matches as possible. It would also be good if the team could play a few times at the new stadiums before the AFCON starts.