Angola midfielder Figueiredo has withdrawn from Coach Luis Oliveira Goncalves’ Palancas Negras squad for their World Cup warm-up game against the Korea Republic on Wednesday.

The player from Portuguese second division club Varzim was injured last week, stated officials from the Angolan Football Federation.

Figueiredo was born in Angola but his family moved to Portugal when he was 3 years old following Angola’s independence. It wasn’t until three years ago when he was recruited by Angola’s football federation that Figueiredo returned to Angola to help lead them to the World Cup Finals.

Goncalves has replaced Figueredo with Miloy from club side InterClube for the friendly against South Korea.

He also called-up two midfielders to join the Palancas Negras - Jojo from Angolan champions Sagrada Esperanca, and the previously uncapped Ze Augusto from army club Primeiro Agosto.

Porto defender Pedro Emanuel, who has already said how desperate he is to play for Angola, was not added to the squad by the Angola coach.

Goncalves travelled to Portugal last week for talks with the 2004 UEFA Champions League winner, who was born in the Angolan Capital of Luanda but had been holding out for a possible call-up by Portugal.

Angola's game against South Korea will be their first since the African Cup of Nations in Egypt, where they failed to reach the quarter-finals.

Angola have been drawn in Group D with Portugal, Mexico and Iran at the World Cup finals in Germany, which kick-off on 9 June.

Angola squad V Korea Republic (team to be chosen from):

Goalkeepers: Goliath (Sagrada Esperanca), Joao Ricardo (unattached)

Defenders: Jamba (AS Aviacao), Kali (Santa Clara), Lebo-Lebo (Sagrada Esperanca), Loco (Benfica Luanda), Marco Abreu (Portimonense), Marco Airosa (FC Barreirense), Rui Marques (Leeds United)

Midfielders: Andre (Kuwait SC), Edson (Pacos Ferreira), Mendonca (Varzim), Ze Kalanga (Petro Atletico), Zuela (Xanthi), Jojo (Sagrada Esperanca), Ze Augusto (Primeiro Agosto)

Strikers: Akwa (Al Wakra), Andre Titi Buengo (Clermont Foot), Flavio (Al Ahli), Love (AS Aviacao), Maurito (Al Wahda).

Bookmark/Search this post with:

delicious | digg | google | yahoo | technorati