Sand sculptures of Argentina's Lionel Messi and Angola's Laurindo Aurelio, accompanied by their national flags, are displayed at the end of the promenade on the Ilha de Luanda ahead of the friendly football match between Angola and Argentina in Luanda on November 9, 2025. AFP
The events began Wednesday.
Angola has organized an exhibition game between its national team and Argentina for Friday, reportedly at a cost of $13 million to attract the World Cup holders. The game is at Angola's 11 November Stadium, named after its Independence Day.
Argentina's squad will arrive in Angola on Thursday, according to the Argentine soccer federation.
Angola's celebrations began with a ceremony at Republic Square in the capital, Luanda, where soldiers raised a giant Angolan flag in front of President João Lourenço.
Angola declared independence from colonial ruler Portugal on Nov. 11, 1975, but quickly entered a devastating civil war that killed between 500,000 and 1 million people and ended in 2002.
Oil-rich Angola has been governed by one party, the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola, since independence.
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