CAF Futsal AFCON: Angola thrash Egypt 7-3 to reach final
Rabat, Morocco (PANA) - Angola coach Marcos Antunes was full of praise for his players after the Sable Antelopes thrashed Egypt 7-3 to qualify for Sunday's final of the TotalEnergies CAF Futsal AFCON Morocco 2024.
The Sable Antelopes produced a scintillating second half performance to see off the three time champions at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Hall on Friday, CAF's Communications Department reported.
"I have a positive way of living and I try to pass this to my players," said the Portuguese coach. "In that way, our confidence and our quality of play, I think Egypt cannot resist our attempts because we're organised and we suffer when we have to."
The Pharaohs twice levelled the score at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Hall before Angola's dominant second half blew them apart.
"Egypt is a great team and a fantastic team but we're heading to Uzbekistan and into the final. That was the objective of my players since the first day we came here and I always tell the players to play with confidence and show their quality and now the results are here," said Antunes.
"It's a very important victory for us because we have been fighting for two years. We don't have the same opportunities as the other teams because we don't play enough international matches like the other team so it is very special for me and the team to win and qualify to the final and the World Cup."
Egypt coach Gehad Arafa rues his team's mistakes against the efficient Sable Antelopes who are the first side to deny the Pharaohs a place in the final of the competition.
"In these matches the less mistakes you make increase your chances of winning and if we were leading it would have been a different story," the former Futsal AFCON winner said.
"They had a two-goal advantage with the flying keeper and we managed to reduce the deficit but we took some risks and they punished us with the three late goals.
"We used the flying keeper but we made a lot of mistakes. It was a good game from Angola and we should now prepare for the next match as it's another opportunity on Sunday to qualify for the World Cup.”
The north Africans will face Libya, the loser in the second semi-final match, in the third match for a place in the FIFA Futsal World in Uzbekistan later this year.
"It's the first time in our history to not qualify for the Futsal AFCON final but that is the game of Futsal and we congratulate Angola for the win,” Arafa concluded.
-0- PANA MA 21April2024
