Angola national team coach Pedro Goncalves has explained why he thinks his team lost to Egypt in Wednesday’s 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifier.
Mohamed Magdy’s fifth-minute penalty handed the Pharaohs a hard-fought 1-0 victory over the Palancras Negras inside Cairo’s 30 June Stadium.
Addressing the media after the game, the Portuguese tactician – who claimed his team deserved at least a point against the North Africans – gave reasons why they lost to Hossam El Badry’s men.
“Our start against Egypt was very difficult. Just as Egypt missed important players such as Mohamed Salah and Mohamed Elneny, we missed very important players,” said Goncalves.
“In addition to the absence of five players due to coronavirus, [we missed] four players because they were completing their transfers to other clubs in Europe.
“In addition to some injuries and paperwork issues, that brought the total of absent players to 15.
“Preparing for the match itself was very difficult, as the team gathered late, and facing a strong team and a favourites Egypt, made the task difficult.
“But the players played the match with a high spirit and lived up to the responsibility and they could have come out with a draw and were the best team on many occasions.
“But the penalty kick for the Egyptian national team gave the hosts an advantage.
“My players deserved a draw at the very least. The group is balanced, and Angola will have an influential role in deciding the qualified team for the final stage of the qualifiers. And we will improve with each match.”
Prior to the start of the qualifiers, the Premier League had announced they would not release players in 'red list' countries, where they would have to quarantine on their return to the United Kingdom because of Covid restrictions.
Reacting to this, Goncalves appealed to Fifa that players from African countries should receive special consideration.
“Mohamed Salah, Elneny, and Trezeguet are very important players for any team, and their absence affected Egypt’s performance, especially in the offensive side,” he added.
“Fifa should pay more attention to African teams, especially with regard to the situation of some countries due to Covid, which caused many players to be absent.
“If both teams were in full force, the match would’ve been much better.”
Angola would be hoping to return to winning ways when they welcome Libya to the Estadio 11 de Novembro, Luanda on September 7.
