A profile of Angola ahead of the African Cup of Nations - including past record, recent form and information on their players and coach.

PAST RECORD

Angola will compete at the finals for only the fourth time in 2008. The country's previous finals were in 1996, 1998 and 2006.

Angola are yet to move beyond the first round at the Cup, having won just once in nine games at the finals.

A former Portuguese colony, Angola became independent in 1975 but only entered its first qualifying campaign for the 1982 finals.

RECENT FORM

A 2-1 win over Ivory Coast in a friendly in France in November was a major morale boost although it was tempered just days later when Guinea defeated them 3-0. Since last year's World Cup finals, Angola have played 15 internationals, winning seven.

COACH

Angolan coach Luis Oliveira Goncalves has been a long-standing mentor of his country's football teams, working with all national sides from under-15 level up to the senior team.

Oliveira Goncalves was coach of the Angolan under-20 side that won the African youth championships in 2001 and took Luanda's police team InterClube to the final of the African Cup Winners' Cup in 2001.

The 49-year-old became Angola coach in December 2003 and an overnight national hero after leading the Angola to an unexpected berth at the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.

PLAYERS

Striker Flavio scored Angola's only goal at the 2006 World Cup finals and also netted at the last Cup of Nations in Egypt, where he plays his club football at Cairo giants Al Ahli. Last season he was top scorer in the Egypt domestic league and is their key man.

Manucho has recently been signed by Manchester United after a trial period. He recently finished as the leading goal-scorer in Angola's own domestic championship for a second successive season.

Angola's midfield is run by two veterans with Andre, formerly of Portuguese club Boavista, and Figueiredo, who plays in Sweden's second division, pivotal to their planning.

Portuguese based players dominate the squad but Angolan footballers are now to be found playing in England, France, the Netherlands and Switzerland, as well as in the Middle East.

SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Lama (Petro Atletico), Mario (InterClube), Nuno (Aviacao)

Defenders: Marco Airosa (Fatima), Delgado (Metz), Jamba (Aviacao), Kali (FC Sion), Loco (Primeiro Agosto), Machado (Anadia), Rui Marques (Leeds United), Yamba Asha (Petro Atletico)

Midfielders: Andre (Kuwait SC), Dede (Pacos Ferreira), Edson (Pacos Ferreira), Figueiredo (Osters), Gilberto (Al Ahli), Maurito (Kuwait SC), Mendonca (Estrela Amadora), Ze Kalanga (Boavista)

Strikers: Flavio (Al Ahli), Love (Primeiro Agosto), Manucho (Petro Atletico), Mateus (Boavista)

Reuters