Lisbon: Portuguese side Porto's Angolan-born defender Pedro Emanuel, who is unlikely to make Portugal's World Cup squad, has said he welcomed an invitation to play for Angola during the finals in Germany later this year.
"I left when I was very little but Angola is my country and I would be very proud to help the Angolan people at such an important competition," Portuguese sports daily A Bola quoted him as saying on Friday.
"There is a great probability that I will take part in the tournament but my main concern is finding out how I will be received by the rest of the team. I know the people support me but it is very important to be welcomed by the squad," he added.
Angola coach Luis Oliveira traveled to Portugal on Thursday to try to convince the 31-year-old to play for his side, which crashed out of this year's African Nations Cup in Egypt in the first round.
Angola, a former Portuguese colony, are in Group D along with Portugal, Mexico and Iran at the World Cup finals which will be held between June 9 and July 9.
The team's first game is against Portugal in the German city of Cologne on June 11.
"If I play against Portugal it will obviously be a very special moment. Maybe inexplicable. My country of origin against the country that raised me and where I became a man," Emanuel added according to sports daily Record.
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