Kaizer Chiefs defender Inacio Miguel faces another international setback, having been omitted from Angola’s preliminary 55-man squad for both their crucial AFCON qualifier against South Africa and the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations tournament. This exclusion represents a puzzling trend for a player who maintains regular starting status at one of South Africa’s biggest clubs.
The Palancas Negras announced their extensive preliminary roster for the AFCON qualifiers and tournament preparations, and once again Miguel finds himself on the outside looking in. The decision becomes particularly noteworthy given the squad’s considerable size, suggesting tactical or philosophical reasons beyond simple roster limitations.
KAIZER CHIEFS STAR MIGUEL CARDOSO TO SIT OUT AFCON
Miguel’s continued absence from national team selection creates an intriguing paradox. The 29-year-old has been a consistent fixture for Amakhosi this season, featuring in 14 matches across all competitions and demonstrating the form that initially earned him international recognition. His reliability in the heart of Chiefs’ defense makes his exclusion from a 55-player pool particularly difficult to comprehend from a pure performance perspective.
The defender’s international career has stagnated significantly since his last appearance in November 2023, where he managed just two minutes as a late substitute against Cape Verde. With only five total caps for Angola—the majority coming back in 2021—Miguel’s international experience remains limited despite his domestic prominence. His inclusion in the previous AFCON tournament in Ivory Coast proved symbolic at best, as he never left the bench throughout Angola’s campaign.
This latest omission means Miguel will miss Angola’s critical 2025/26 AFCON qualification opener against Bafana Bafana on December 22nd, followed by subsequent matches against Zimbabwe and Egypt. For a player of his caliber and experience, watching these crucial international fixtures from afar represents both a personal and professional disappointment.
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ZAMALEK IN POLOKWANE
While international opportunities remain elusive, Miguel now shifts focus to continental competition with Kaizer Chiefs. This weekend presents a significant challenge as Egyptian powerhouse Zamalek visits the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Limpopo for a crucial CAF Confederation Cup encounter on Saturday at 15:00.
Ahead of this continental showdown, Chiefs co-coach Khalil Ben Youssef emphasized the magnitude of the challenge while acknowledging the importance of securing maximum points at home. “Zamalek are one of the best teams in Africa with huge experience in continental competition,” the Tunisian tactician told the club’s website. “It will be a tough game, but if we want to qualify, we cannot afford any mistakes at home. We need to win our home matches and collect more points away.”
For Miguel, these high-profile continental matches represent an opportunity to demonstrate the qualities that make his continued national team exclusion so perplexing. Strong performances against African giants like Zamalek could potentially force Angola’s coaching staff to reconsider their evaluation of the dependable defender.