Stoke City's Portugal youth international set for shock World Cup qualifiers call-up
Andre Vidigal has met the manager of Angola this week and is believed to have pledged to change his international allegiance.
The 26-year-old Stoke City forward played for Portugal at youth level and, like his uncle Jose, he has long hoped to go on to win caps at senior level. His uncles Lito and Jorge played for Angola, however - and Lito coached Angola too – and now he has been convinced to become available for that country.
Angola boss Pedro Soares Goncalves flew into England and held talks over lunch with Vidigal on Wednesday. Vidigal could be involved in World Cup qualifiers next month as Angola look to break into the top two and make the next stage. They are unbeaten after the first four matches and sit on six points, one behind second-placed Libya and a possible second round place, two behind leaders Cameroon and a direct route to the 2026 World Cup.
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There are matches against Libya and third-placed Cape Verde in March and the final four games will take place in September and October.
It comes as Vidigal is brought back in from the cold a little at Stoke by Mark Robins. He hit the ground running after joining in the summer of 2023 but injuries then a dip in form left him kicking his heels in the stands under Steven Schumacher and Narcis Pelach.
Robins said on Friday: “Andre is somebody who I’ve sort of seen become better and a little bit more focused on trying to affect the team. In training every day he’s trying, he’s performing to a good level and it must have been difficult for him mentally. He came from a different country with an idea of how things were going to pan out but then things don’t get that way and trying to understand why is difficult for anybody. For young men to be able to cope with that will knock your confidence, no matter who you are. That’s probably something that’s happened with Andre.
“But he’s shown a strength of character to come back from that and I want to see where he can get to. But everybody has to be at a certain level to be given a chance, an opportunity and they’ve got to be ready to take it. That level they’re at when they’re given a chance ill dictate if they’re ready to go. Sometimes you can’t do that because of injuries or state of play but it’s down to them then.
“To earn it, to earn that opportunity, is really important. It can’t just be given. You have to earn your spurs to get that chance in the first place.”
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