Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is once again looking like a genius for signing one of the world’s best young talents. Manucho, the 24-year-old Angola striker Manucho terrorized defenses at the African Nations Cup, scoring four goals in four games in an impressive quarterfinal finish for outsider Angola, who on Monday lost, 2-1, to defending champion Egypt. New York Times blogger Greg Lalas says the Angolan “is quickly earning his celebrated one-name status.” Arguably the biggest star to emerge during this year’s finals, Manucho will be farmed out to Panathinaikos for the rest of the year when he returns to Europe. The lanky striker will undoubtedly see far more first-team action with the Greek club than he would at Old Trafford.
As for Angola, the African Nations Cup will be a poorer affair without the Black Antelopes. Their legacy will undoubtedly be the remarkable 3-1 comeback staged against Senegal in the second game of the first round. “For me, that’s the best game I’ve seen so far,” said Bolton Wanderers scout Colin Harvey. “The way Angola came back was fantastic. There were three or four players on the field I put asterisks next to.” Manucho, of course, was one of them, having scored the first two of the Antelopes’ three second-half goals.