Alexandre Santos appointed Petro de Luanda head coach on 18-month deal

Portuguese tactician Alexandre Santos has been appointed head coach of Angolan giants Petro de Luanda on an 18-month contract.

Santos replaces João Pedro Sousa, who was dismissed following the club’s defeat by Scottland FC in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League.

The appointment comes at a crucial time for Petro, who must overturn the deficit in the return leg this weekend to keep their hopes of progressing in Africa’s premier club competition alive.

Santos will have little time to settle into his new role, with preparations for the decisive encounter expected to be his immediate priority.

The former coach will be tasked with restoring confidence within the squad and guiding the Angolan champions through a difficult period as they seek to maintain their continental ambitions.

Petro de Luanda are among Angola’s leading clubs and have established themselves as regular contenders in domestic competitions and on the African stage.

Their immediate focus, however, will be on responding to the first-leg setback against Scottland FC, with Santos facing an early test of his ability to make an impact.

The 18-month agreement gives the Portuguese coach an opportunity to shape the team beyond the immediate Champions League assignment, but his first challenge will be to prepare Petro for this weekend’s return fixture.

A positive result would offer Santos an early boost and keep the club’s continental campaign on track, while failure to progress would increase the pressure on the new coach to deliver results in the coming months.