AFCON 2025: honours, record, stars... everything you need to know about Angola

The country

Capital: Luanda
Area: 1,246,700 km²
Population: 36,680,000
Official language: Portuguese
Inhabitants: Angolans
Team nickname: Palancas Negras (The Black Antelopes)


Angola and the AFCON

Titles: 0
Finals: 0
Participations before AFCON 2025: 10
Best performance: Quarterfinals (2008, 2010 & 2023)
FIFA ranking: 89th
Host country: 1 (2010)


AFCON history

1996: eliminated in the first round
1998: eliminated in the first round
2006: eliminated in the first round
2008: quarterfinals
2010: quarterfinals
2012: eliminated in the first round
2013: eliminated in the first round
2019: eliminated in the first round
2023: quarterfinals

AFCON record

31 games played
7 wins
13 draws
11 losses
39 goals scored
47 goals conceded


How the team qualified

Angola topped a tough group comprising Ghana, Sudan, and Niger. Their campaign, marked by an unbeaten run, was highlighted by a major achievement: a victory in Kumasi against Ghana, symbolizing the new maturity of the Palancas Negras and their continental ambitions.


Mabululu, the Palancas Negras' offensive weapon

Cristóvão Mabululu remains the Angola attack's major asset. With two decisive goals in the qualifiers, the striker has established himself as a clinical finisher who is always dangerous in the box.
With his valuable positioning sense, he can change the course of a game with a single opportunity. His success will be crucial if Angola is to reach the quarterfinals again or cause an upset in Morocco.