Facts about "Las Palancas Negras" and their relationship with Argentina
Angola National Team, known as "Las Palancas Negras" in honor of the giant sable antelope (Angola's national symbol), holds a special place in the history of African football. Their greatest achievement was qualifying for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, their only participation in a World Cup. That team set a historic record by conceding only two goals throughout the tournament, the lowest figure for a debutant national team.
Argentina National Teamwill play a single friendly match on the last FIFA Date of 2025 against Angola, in a match that will have both strong sporting and symbolic value. The match will be played on Friday, November 14 at Estádio 11 de Novembro in Luanda, the capital of the African country, and will serve as the season finale for the team led by Lionel Scaloni before the 2026 World Cup.
According to journalist Romain Molina, Angola paid about 12 million dollars to the AFA to secure the presence of the world champions. The Angolan Federation was the only one that accepted the financial conditions imposed by Argentina, which included a special clause for Lionel Messi: his guaranteed draft and participation, with the aim of ensuring a complete sell-out.
Además de los 12 millones, Angola pedía la presencia asegurada de Messi
Although the match time has not yet been confirmed, the AFA is seeking a television slot that will allow for good viewership in Argentina, taking into account the four-hour time difference. The intention is for the match to be played around 8:00 p.m. Argentine time.
The friendly is part of the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of Angola's independence, and will take place in a stadium with a capacity for 48,000 spectators. It will also be a new opportunity for Scaloni to observe young players and test alternatives before the World Cup.
In that World Cup, Angola drew 0-0 with Mexico and 1-1 with Iran, and only lost 0-1 to Portugal, their former colonial power. The qualification was celebrated with a national holiday in the country.
Angola sólo recibió dos goles el Mundial 2006
The connection with Argentina also has precedents, as the African team was coached by Argentine Rubén García in 1989, a year in which they achieved a historic friendly victory against Uruguay. In addition, both teams faced each other before the 2006 World Cup, in a friendly that ended with a 2-0 victory for La Albiceleste.
Now, almost two decades later, Argentina and Angola will meet again in Luanda, in a match that combines history, symbolism, and the appeal of seeing Lionel Messi once again wearing the sky blue and white jersey on African soil.
