COSAFA Cup: Angola’s mindset on the final—Goncalves
- Peter Kanjere
- 2 days ago
- 1 min read
Angola's Men's Senior National Football Team coach, Pedro Goncalves, says the mindset of the Palancas Negras players is on the final of the tournament underway in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
The Portuguese mentor said this after the defending champions saw off battling Malawi 1-0 in a Group B match on Tuesday to secure a semifinal place.
"At the end of the day, we conquered our goal. Really, it was a tough experience. The pitch created a lot of situations in the match. The Malawi team impressed because they were prepared for that kind of football. [However], we needed that kind of experience because in Africa, that is the kind of football you need to practice for,” he said.
“We were more prepared for the second half, and fortunately, we got the goal. [After that], the match was more direct. Unfortunately, we substituted players because they were injured.
"We are now looking forward to the semifinals. It is time for the recovery of the players, and on Friday, the mindset will be on the final.”
Randy Nteka's 48th-minute goal sent Angola to the COSAFA Cup semifinals after edging Malawi 1-0.
The Palancas Negras finished Group B on top after taking their tally to seven points while condemning the Flames to the exit door without scoring in three games of the tournament.
Namibia also beat Lesotho, but both teams also exited the tournament on Tuesday.
Angola have joined South Africa in the semifinals, with Bafana Bafana having already secured their knockout spot.
