Famous Angolan People

William Carvalho is a Portuguese football player who plays for the Portugal national team. He has represented his country in two European Championships and two World Cups. In 2016, he helped Portugal win the UEFA European Football Championship title. William Carvalho was also part of the team that won the UEFA Nations League in 2019.

Queen Nzinga, also known as Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba, was the queen of the Kingdoms of Ndongo and Matamba. Born into the family of Ndongo, Nzinga assumed power after the demise of her father and sibling, after which she fought for the stature and Independence of her kingdoms from the Portuguese. Her reign lasted 37 years.

José Eduardo dos Santos is an Angolan politician. Having served as the president of Angola from 1979 to 2017, dos Santos is Africa's second-longest-serving president. An influential and powerful man, dos Santos also served as the Angolan Armed Forces' commander in chief throughout his presidency. In 2014, he was named Man of the Year by Africa World magazine.  

MPLA leader Agostinho Neto was Angola’s first president. Born to school teacher parents, Neto grew up to become a poet and later studied medicine. However, while pursuing his academic career, he also participated in indigenous movements. Following his arrest and the subsequent unrest, he joined the Angolan liberation movement.

Belgian footballer Igor Vetokele, who plays as a forward for the club Westerlo, had begun his senior career with Gent. He later played for clubs such as Copenhagen, winning the Danish Superliga with them in the season 2012-13. After representing the Belgian junior teams, he joined the Angolan national football team.

Holden Roberto was an Angolan politician and freedom fighter. He is credited with founding a militant organization and political party called the National Liberation Front of Angola, which played a major role in the Angolan War of Independence. The party, which Roberto led from 1962 to 1999, played an influential role in Angola's independence from Portugal.

Angolan footballer Helder Costa began his career with Benfica and then moved on to teams such as Leeds United and Valencia. While he initially represented the Portuguese national team, he later switched to the Angolan team. He can play both as a winger and a forward.

Born to poor parents in Portugal, José Luandino Vieira later moved to Angola with his parents. His works showcased the mixture of Kimbundu and Portuguese, which gave rise to a peculiar language of the musseque, or people of the African quarters. His stories reflected the injustice of the Portuguese occupation of Angola.