Pauleta punishes Angola for nervy start

Portugal 1 Angola 0

The Africans can rightly feel proud of their first performance on the big stage, especially as they had been thrashed 6-0 and 5-1 in their only previous encounters with their former colonial rulers.

But a nervous start turned out to be their undoing. Just 15 seconds were on the clock when Pauleta broke free on the left of the box and slotted past goalkeeper Joao Ricardo.

That time the ball just missed the far post but the Paris St Germain striker made no mistake in the fourth minute to net his 47th international strike.

It came from an Angolan free-kick that Jamba punted up field, with the defender horrified to see it headed straight into the path of the on-rushing Luis Figo.

The Portugal skipper motored easily past the out-of-position left-back to reach the box and lay the ball back for Pauleta to apply a simple finish past last man Kali, with the goalkeeper already having been taken out of the equation.

Angola eventually gained some composure and Portugal goalkeeper Ricardo had to get behind a well-struck long-range shot from Mendonca.

Ronaldo’s luck deserted him in the 34th minute when his header from a Figo corner bounced back off the crossbar.

There was a late scare when Mateus hooked the ball goalwards in the 89th minute but Ricardo made the save.

ANGOLA: Joao Ricardo, Jamba, Kali, Loco, Delgado, Figueiredo (Miloy 80), Macanga, Mateus, Mendonca, Ze Kalanga (Edson 70), Akwa (Mantorras 59).

PORTUGAL: Ricardo, Meira, Miguel, Nuno Valente, Ricardo Carvalho, Petit (Maniche 72), Tiago (Viana 82), Figo, Ronaldo (Costinha 59), Pauleta, Simao.

Referee: Jorge Larrionda (Uruguay).