Angola – nicknamed ‘The Pearls’ – once again set the continental standard, winning the African championship last year to qualify through to Germany/Netherlands 2025.

It was their 15th gold in the past 17 editions of the continental event and ensured the Angolans have not missed an edition of the world championship since qualifying through to their first-ever IHF Women’s World Championship in 1990.

2025 will be their 18th, consecutive appearance, but while they have dominated their continental strength, it has not translated to the global stage, their seventh-placed finish in 2007 their best rank to date.

However, their 15th place under head coach Vivaldo Eduardo in 2023 was their equal best since 2013 and now managed by former Spain coach Carlos Viver, they will be hoping to improve on that as they start their campaign in group H in Trier, where they will play Norway, Republic of Korea and Kazakhstan.

Two years ago Viver was on the bench for Angola, officially as assistant coach, but in a role with the Angolan federation as a technical advisor. He then took over fully, guiding the team to Pan-African Games gold in Accra, Ghana, qualification to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and that continental gold last year.

Along with coaching the Spain women’s national team, who he guided to world championship silver in 2019, former player Viver has coached Granollers in Spain before moving to CS Rapid București for two seasons, where they competed in the Champions League and won the Romanian league. A spell followed in Angola, coaching Primeiro de Agosto before returning once more to Romania, coaching Champions League side Gloria Bistrița.

Angola have played Norway six times at an IHF World Championship and four times at the Olympic Games, losing all 10. Their most recent world championship loss – and biggest – was at Denmark/Norway/Sweden 2023, a 37:19 defeat coming in the main round.

The African champions have won their last two world championship games against Republic of Korea, 30:29 in the Round of 16 at Brazil 2011, and a 33:31 win in the 2023 main round. The two could not be separated at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, with the teams playing out a 31:31 draw, the same outcome Angola had against Kazakhstan at the Beijing 2008 Olympics (24:24).

Leading Viver on court is captain Albertina Kassoma, who is appearing at her sixth senior world championship following her debut at Serbia 2013, aged just 17.

“It's an honour for me to play again in the World Championship. We know that it's a tough competition with the best teams in the world. So for me it's always an honour to be part of this and represent my country to the best of my abilities,” says Kassoma in an interview with ihf.info.

“I hear a lot of people say that it's an easy group,” added the line player about their preliminary group challenge. “But I don't think it's an easy group – all the teams improve a lot every year and invest a lot in themselves. It's going to be an interesting group for us.”

Viver’s first world championship squad for Angola is without the absent players Nairia Caquintas, Shelcia Gabriel and Natália Fonseca, plus the retired Magda Kazanga and Teresa Almeida (Bá).

Kassoma, who was named as best line player in the All-star Team for the 2024 CAHB championship, is one of two players in the Angola team playing in the Romanian league for CS Rapid București, alongside Stelvia de Jesus Pascoal – two of five in the shortlisted Angola squad of 18 playing in Europe – the remaining 13 split between the two Angolan club behemoths; Petro de Luanda and Primeiro de Agosto.

A relatively inexperienced goalkeeping trio of Marta Samuel Alberto, Eliane Mota Paulo and Cristina Gregorio Miguel have been named, along with 25-year-old left back Rossana Sebastiao Mateus, who is set to make her senior national team competitive debut.

At the other end of the scale is the legendary left wing, Natalia Maria Bernardo Do Santos, who will surpass 300 national team appearances in Germany, ahead of her 39th birthday on Christmas Day.

Key players: Albertina Kassoma (line player), Helena Gilda Simao Paulo (centre back), Azenaide Danila Jose Carlos (right back), Isabel Guialo (centre back)

Coach: Carlos Viver

Qualification for Germany/Netherlands 2025: African Handball Confederation (CAHB) Women's Handball Championship: Winners

History in tournament: 1990: 16th, 1993: 16th, 1995: 16th, 1997: 15th, 1999: 15th, 2001: 13th, 2003: 17th, 2005: 16th, 2007: 7th, 2009: 11th, 2011: 8th, 2013: 16th, 2015: 15th, 2017: 19th, 2019: 15th, 2021: 25th, 2023: 15th

Group at Germany/Netherlands 2025: Group H (Angola, Norway, Republic of Korea, Kazakhstan)