Angola hope to make a great leap forward in Ghana this month by reaching the 2008 African Nations Cup quarter-finals.
The Palancas Negras (Black Antelopes) have made slow progress in three previous appearances at the biennial tournament, collecting one point in 1996, two a couple of years later, and four at the 2006 finals in Egypt.

While the first two tallies were never going to be enough, they were pipped on goal difference two years ago by the Democratic Republic of Congo for second place in a mini-league topped by Cameroon.

Publicly Angola are playing down their chances against Tunisia, Senegal and South Africa in perhaps the most intriguing of the four groups with all four countries harbouring realistic ambitions of making it to the knockout phase.
"Tunisia are the strongest team on paper because they possess the more experienced players, who work as a unit and many are with European clubs," claims midfielder Felisberto 'Gilberto' Amaral from Egyptian giants Al-Ahly.
But when one of the classiest members of the Angolan squad added that Senegal would probably compete for second spot with South Africa, he was clearly seeking to lift pressure from his team-mates.
A more realistic appraisal came from national football association president Justino Fernandes: "The team will try to confirm the good form and stature achieved during the recent past."
Those achievements included a sensational qualification for the 2006 World Cup at the expense of Nigeria, who were beaten away and held at home by the 'Antelopes'.
And although some critics felt coach Luis Oliveria Goncalves was too cautious in Germany, a narrow loss to eventual semi-finalists Portugal and draws against Mexico and Iran left the African nation proud.
On a continent where the hiring and firing of coaches is often done with indecent haste, Goncalves serves as a lesson in how it should be by rising gradually from under-15 to senior national team level.
Many of those who played in Germany are still available with two veterans, goalkeeper Joao Ricardo and striker Fabrice 'Akwa' Maieco, notable exceptions having quit the international circuit.
Strikers Flavio Amado and Manucho Goncalves, who will join Manchester United after Ghana if he receives a work permit, could hold the key for the team that scored the most qualifying goals as they topped Eritrea, Kenya and Swaziland.