Figueiredo Rises from Obscurity to Lead Angola

The closest most players in Portugal’s lower divisions will ever get to World Cup is watching it on their televisions.

But that is not the case for Paulo Figueiredo, who will be proud to represent Angola in Germany this summer.

Figueiredo was born in Angola but his family moved to Portugal when he was 3 years old following Angola’s independence. It wasn’t until three years ago when he was recruited by Angola’s football federation that Figueiredo returned to his birthplace.

He was welcomed with open arms and has helped Angola to land a surprising birth in the World Cup.

“We have a very important weapon which is our team spirit and our humility,” said Figueiredo. “We’re a team without star players, our strength is our team spirit and this is what helped us eliminate Nigeria.

“Nigeria underestimated Angola and they paid the price.”

There are two ways of looking at this story. The first is through cynical lenses. Angola has brought in a player who is essentially a foreigner and he has taken a spot on the team of someone who has spent his whole life in the country.

The second, which is what I subscribe to, is that this is a great story about a player who has toiled largely in obscurity and now gets a chance to not only play on the world’s largest stage, but to reconnect with his heritage.