For the 1996 Nations Cup tournament, Angola were strengthened by the inclusion of brothers Walter and Wilson Novo Estrela and Rui Barbosa, who played in Portugal's second division at the obscure Taifa.

Since then, there has been a steady selection of Portuguese players reclaiming their Angolan heritage and being offered the chance at an international career by the southern African country.

Many have been found through the pages of the pre-season guide, which successive officials have scoured for players with Angolan links, checking birthplaces or the pen pictures for clues.

Angolan internationals in Portugal have also played a part in discovering players with similar backgrounds among their colleagues.

DIFFERENT MENTALITY

Fullback Marco Abreu, for example, was recommended to national coach Luis Oliveira Goncalves by a former club mate. Marco Abreu was last in Angola as a toddler but stands a good chance of making the squad for the finals in Germany after impressing at January's African Nations Cup finals in Egypt.

"It is so different, so much more relaxed and with a different mentality and approach," Abreu said of the Angolan camp in Cairo in an interview with Reuters earlier this year.

More representative of the players in Angola's diaspora are midfielder Figueiredo and goalkeeper Joao Ricardo, both journeymen footballers who would not have included the World Cup in their wildest dreams until a few years ago.

Figueiredo, despite never having played in the top flight in Portugal, has become a folk hero in Angola for his gritty midfield displays and acumen from set pieces which have delivered some vital goals for the country of his birth.

He was first approached in 2003 by Angola's Brazilian-born coach Ismael Kurtz after his profile showed he had been born in Luanda.

Joao Ricardo has also offered Angola some solidity in goal despite the fact that at 36 he is no longer able to get a contract in Portugal.

Page:

1

2

3