Angola Includes Former PSL Star In AFCON 2025 Squad
Angola national team coach Patrice Beaumelle has included former PSL Goalkeeper of the Season Hugo Marques in his squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where they will face Bafana Bafana.
Marques, who previously played for Cape Town City, has been recalled to the Angolan national team, but there is no place for Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Inacio Miguel.
The 39-year-old, who represented Portugal at junior level, spent one season with City during the 2021/22 campaign. He featured in 34 matches across all competitions and kept 17 clean sheets.
That same season, City lost the MTN8 final to Mamelodi Sundowns at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, with the Brazilians winning on sudden-death penalties in Durban.
City went on to finish second in the league under coach Eric Tinkler, and Marques was subsequently named the PSL Goalkeeper of the Season.
However, the following season he made just three appearances before receiving a call to return home to Angola, rejoining Petro de Luanda — the club City had originally signed him from.
In total, Marques played 37 matches for City and kept 17 clean sheets.
Angola, who are grouped with Bafana Bafana in Group B, will also face Zimbabwe and record seven-time champions Egypt.
They will open their campaign against Hugo Broos’ side on 22 December at the 45,240-seater Stade de Marrakech in Marrakech [19:00].
Their second match will be against Zimbabwe on 26 December at the same venue [14:30], before concluding the group stage against Egypt three days later at Stade Adrar in Agadir [18:00].
Angola squad:
Goalkeepers: Neblu (Primero de Agosto), Hugo Marques (Petro de Luanda), Dominique (Etoile Carouge).
Defenders: Rui Modesto (Udinese), Eddie Afonso (Petro de Luanda), To Carneiro (AS FAR), Nurio Fortuna (Volos FC), Pedro Bondo (Famalicão), David Carmo (Real Oviedo), Buatu (Gil Vicente), Gaspar (Lecce), Clinton Mata (Lyon).
Midfielders: Beni Mukendi (Vitória SC), Show (Kocaelispor), Fredy (Bodrumspor), Maestro (Alanyaspor), Manuel Keliano (Akhmat Grozny), Mario Balburdia (Boluspor).
Forwards: Zito Luvumbo (Cagliari), Manuel Benson (Swansea City), Milson (Crvena Zvezda), Chico Banza (Zamalek), Gelson Dala (Al-Wakrah), Randy Nteka (Rayo Vallecano), Ary Papel (Al Akhdar), Mabululu (Al Ahli Tripoli), Mbala Nzola (Pisa), Zine (AEK Athens).
