Angola keen on Pedro

Angola coach Luis Oliveira Goncalves has flown to Portugal to convince Pedro Emanuel to play for the Palancas Negras at this year's World Cup finals.

The Angolan Football Federation said on Thursday that their coach had talks with the Porto defender, a Champions League winner with the Portuguese club.

"Things went very well," Oliveira Goncalves told the Portuguese sports newspaper Record after the meeting.

"He hasn't decided yet but I think he'll decide (to play) for us. We'll meet again in the next few days to sort it all out."

Oliviera Goncalves believes the 31-year-old would be a major boost to his team's defence, which he said played poorly at this year's African Nations Cup finals in Egypt.

"We need some big reinforcements," he said.

Angola did not make it past the first round at the tournament, conceding five goals in their three games in Egypt.

Angola have repeatedly tried to convince the Luanda-born defender to commit to their international cause.

Several Portuguese players born in Angola have in recent years switched their allegiance to the southern African nation.

Pedro Emanuel was born in Angola but left with his family at the time of the country's independence 30 years ago.

Last month he told reporters he was seriously considering opting to play for Angola because he had given up hope of making the Portugal squad for the World Cup in Germany.

Pedro Emanuel's choice, however, is complicated by the fact that Angola's first game at the World Cup finals is against Portugal in Cologne on 11 June.