Macau coach urges Portuguese players to prepare for WC26 qualifiers
Lazaro Oliveira
The new Macau national team head coach, Lázaro Oliveira, is calling in reinforcements for the region’s team in preparation for two matches against Myanmar as part of the first round for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
According to Jornal Tribuna de Macau (JTM), one of the players who caught the coach’s eye is Nuno Pereira, a 25-year-old Macau-born Portuguese currently playing for Imortal Desportivo Clube, a football club from Albufeira playing at the Campeonato de Portugal, which is the fourth level of the Portuguese football league system since 2022.
When he started his de facto work at the helm of the Macau National Team, Oliveira said he would consider all eligible players to form the strongest possible team to maximize the team’s chances of passing the first round on the road to the World Cup 2026.
To JTM, Oliveira said the chances of Macau passing this first round are directly tied to the quality of the team. The players currently playing professionally outside Macau could have an important role in such a team.
“There are players who are currently abroad and who can contribute to this team, as long as the [Macau Football] Association leaders are willing to spend some money to bring them in for the practice sessions [and matches],” Oliveira was quoted saying.
Pereira admitted to JTM that he had received an invitation from the coach and immediately accepted, noting that he thinks the team is in a condition to play competitively in both matches with Myanmar scheduled for October.
Pereira said he was surprised to have been invited, but is nevertheless happy at the prospect of playing for Macau, noting that is rare for the team to feature players who are not in Macau.
Admitting that Myanmar is the favorite at the start of this double-header event, Oliveira is still optimistic, as he believes that there is only a small difference between the two teams.
The last time that the Macau team faced Myanmar was two months ago in June, in a friendly match played at Taipa’s Olympic Stadium.
In this match, Macau lost 0-2 to Myanmar, with goals from Lwin Moe Aung at the 25-minute mark and Maung Maung Lwin in a penalty kick at 90+4 minutes, sealing the win.
Myanmar currently occupies the 160th position on the FIFA ranking, while Macau is 182nd out of 208.
Before the double-header event scheduled for Oct. 12 in Yangon and Oct. 17 in Macau, the local team is playing with Bhutan at home on Sept. 6, and in Cambodia on Sept. 11.
