Kyivans will face Angolan side SL Benfica Luanda at Doña Julia stadium in Estepona.
It’s not a coincidence that African team has the same name as famous Portuguese club. The thing is that in 1922 it was founded as Benfica Lisbon filiation. They have almost similar emblems (in the picture: left one – Benfica Luanda emblem, right one – Benfica Lisbon emblem) and club colours. Still speaking about trophies, there’s a great disbalance: unlike Portuguese side Angolans have won only national Super Cup (2007) and Cup (2014) throughout 93 years of their history. In 2009 and 2014 “Luanda eagles” won the domestic league bronze.
The game against Dynamo will be the full rehearsal for Benfica before the Angola Super Cup battle against national champions Recreativo do Libolo that will take place on February 4.
In 2007 Benfica took part in the CAF Confederation Cup (Champions League analogue). They reached the quarterfinal, but later it turned out that they let suspended player take the field and were disqualified.
Today Benfica head coach is Zeca Amaral. In 2010-2011 he was in charge of Angola national team. The skipper is 29-year-old Brazilian defender Jeferson. He used to feature for Rio Ave FC for five years.
Special attention should be also paid to two midfielders – 34-year-old Mourtala Diakite, who won Chinese Super League in 2010 with Shandong Lunend, and 31-year-old Bruno Manuel Braga, who also used to play for Rio Ave FC.
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