Sudan might have lost their opening African Nations Cup finals match to Cote d'Ivoire but the competitive way in which they played the 90 minutes has given them the belief they can make it to the last eight.

In so doing, they would have to snap a 40-year winless streak in the finals by beating Angola in Malabo on Thursday in Group B.

Sudan have gone through 10 games at various Nations Cup tournaments since they last won -- in 1970 when they were hosts and won the tournament by beating Ghana 1-0 in the final.

But coach Mohamed Abdallah says there is now an expectation his players will kick on and deliver a result.

"Angola did deserve to win their last game against Burkina Faso and we will have to concentrate heavily if we are to win," he told reporters in Malabo on the eve of the game.

"For us to continue participating in this competition we are obliged to win otherwise it will mean we effectively have to go home. This is not an option for us."

But if Sudan lose and Cote d'Ivoire beat Burkina Faso in the other group B match, the first two places in the pool will be settled already with one round of group matches still to come on Monday.

Angola hope to have FC Porto striker Djalma Campos back to full fitness after a muscle strain. "Hopefully I'll be at 100 percent and get up to a better level of competing. But if I don't make it, I have another 22 colleagues to do the job," he told reporters at the end of a training session on Tuesday.

Angola have made the quarter-finals at the last two editions of the Nations Cup but never been as far as the top four. Their finishing against Burkina Faso on Sunday was superb but overall they were on the back foot. At times they defended without much organisation - but at least with fiery determination.