Category: Sports

Angolan swimmer, Rhanya Santo, obtained Wednesday in Luanda province the silver medal in the youth category with a time of 10. 25.55, in the 800 meters free race of the debut of the zone IV of the African Championship, at the Alvalade swimming pool.

Rhanya Santo improved her previous time, which was 10.3.36 and it is the third silver medal of the Angolan swimmer in the history of her participation in this type of championship.

In the current race, the Namibian swimmer Ainoa Naukosho got gold medal with a time of 10.10.10, while bronze medal went to Chloe Ah Chip with a time of 10.31.25, from the Republic of Mauritius

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

Morocco’s national U-17 football team has departed the Rabat-Sale International Airport, heading to Algeria’s Constantine to participate in the U-17 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco’s Royal Football Federation (FRMF) confirmed on Friday.

Algeria allowed a direct travel route for the team on Thursday following pressure from FIFA, according to converging reports.

The competition will kick off on Saturday and will last until May 19. Morocco will play in Group B alongside Nigeria, Zambia, and South Africa.

FRMF official Mohamed Boudrika confirmed that the team had secured a direct travel route on Thursday.

The leadup to the tournament was overshadowed by doubts over the team’s participation due to the ongoing tensions with Algeria.

As with the latest African Nations Championship (CHAN), the FRMF had conditioned its U-17 team’s participation in the continental tournament on the possibility of traveling directly from Rabat to Constantine.

Morocco had ended up forfeiting their participation in the CHAN as Algeria denied the FRMF’s request for a direct travel route.

Algeria closed its airspace to Morocco after it severed its ties with its neighbor in 2021 after decades of tensions around Algerian support for the separatist Polisario Front.

This year marks the Moroccan U-17 team’s third appearance in the continental tournament. Their best performance came in 2013, when they finished fourth.

FRMF President Fouzi Lekjaa also held a meeting on Thursday night to ‘motivate’ the players, the federation said, adding that the senior national team’s technical staff led by Walid Regragui were also present.

Regragui stressed the importance of representing Morocco in continental competitions, urging the players to think of the group and not be selfish in order to achieve success at the tournament.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Pedro Pinotes, one of the most important swimming athletes of Angola, was “forced” to withdraw from the African Zone IV Swimming Championship due to the rules imposed by the organisers of the event to be held from May 3-7 at the Alvalade swimming pool, in Luanda.

The regulation stipulates that from the age of 30, the competitors are restricted to the master category, and the Angolan athelete is in such condition, which is why he had to quit the national team called up for the event.

The decision of the 33-year-old athlete was made in agreement with the management of the Angolan Swimming Federation (FAN), the athlete told ANGOP on Friday in Luanda.

The swimmer, nine-time gold medallist at the 2014 zonal IV in Uganda, explained that such a category does not award points for classification, and it does not make sense for the federation to have expenses with his participation.

Pedro Pinotes said the decision to limit may stem from a “less adequate” interpretation of the rules by the Zonal organisation and the Confederation of African Swimming (CANA), as athletes over 30 years old remain in the high competition without restrictions, as is his case.

Pinotes won 10 gold medals in the 2015 edition of the African Zonal IV in Luanda, in addition to his good performance in the 2016 event in Mauritius, where he obtained five gold medals, two silver and three bronze.

This last edition, according to the source, was one of the most competitive as it served for many of the African swimmers to prepare for the 2016 Olympic Games, held in Brazil, where he was present.

Among several records stands out the fact of being the first Angolan to compete in a World Championship in open water.

For this zonal IV, which the country is organising for the second time, after 2015, 80 athletes have been called, 60 for pure swimming (pool) and 20 for open water (sea).

Thirteen nations are confirmed, namely Angola (host), South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, the latter the defending champion.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

Sagrada Esperança versus Petro de Luanda match, on Saturday, is the main higfhlghty of the 27th round of the national first division football championship.

The leader of the championship Petro de Luanda, with 59 points, must not draw or risk losing the lead to 1º de Agosto,currently in the second position with 57 poitns.

In case of defeat, Sagrada, third with 49 points, can lose the last place on the podium that gives access to the African Cups, as they are being closely chased by Wiliete de Benguela and Interclube, with 46 points each, in fourth and fifth position respectively.

In the history of encounters between them, Petro have the advantage with 24 wins and 11 defeats in 48 matches.

Saturday’s match also includes Interclube (5th, with 43) vs Sporting de Cabinda (12th, with 23).

1º de Agosto face Académica do Lobito (9th, with 31 points).

Bravos do Maquis (8th, with 32 points) face Desportivo da Huila (10th, with 26pts) Desportivo da Lunda Sul (11th, with 24 points) face Isaac de Benguela (14th, with 15 points).

The round concludes on Sunday with the following matches:

Santa Rita (6th, with 32) face AS Dragão do Uíge (15th, with 8),Williete (4th, with 43) face Sporting de Benguela (13th, with 17).

Recreativo do Libolo have the day off due to the withdrawal of Cuando Cubango FC

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

Elite Two club Victoria United, will play in the first division next season, following their first-place finish in the 2022/2023 campaign.

Valentine Nkwain, the club president, has said besides hard work, the regular payment of players’ salaries hugely accounts for the cohesion that exists within the team.

“I grew up knowing that when people are working hard, they must be well paid.”

“The Federation asked us to pay 75,000 FCFA, but none of my players is earning 75,000 FCFA. The least of my players is earning 100,000 FCFA and up to 350,000 FCFA” the president revealed.

“I don’t fail. My policy is people must be paid. There is no debt. No arriers of salary, no arriers of match bonuses” he pointed out.

The players as well as the technical staff hold the president in high esteem: “We thank our president, he is our first secret, because he has put a lot at our disposal…We have a professional team, the salary for the players is regular, everything is there, the necessary accampaniment is there” Guy Bertin Kamguia, the head coach indicated.

By qualifying for the Elite One championship, Victoria United end the 10-year absence of teams from the South West region.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

The Egyptian basketball player Seif El Handawi from the NBA Academy Africa will represent the Angolan team Petro de Luanda in the preliminary round of the African Basketball League (BAL), which starts Wednesday in Cairo.

The 17-year old and 1, 97 tall player joins the Angolan team in line with the competition’s regulation, which stipulates the integration of a player from the academy in each competing team, with the aim to aid him to develop and be showcased.

The Angolan team also includes Carlos Morais, where Childe Dundão, Gerson Domingos, Jone Pedro, Souleyman Diabate, Glofate Buiamba, Aboubakar Gakou, Gerson Gonçalves, Pedro Bastos, Ater Majok, Damian Hollis and Hanadj Chimi.

In 2022, in line with the regulations, the Angolan champions integrated the Central African Republic player Thierry Da Law.

Petro de Luanda face City of Uganda on Thursday, the team debuted in the competition in 2021 finishing in the third position.

In 2022, Petro de Luanda were runners up of the competition after losing 72-83 against Tunisia’s Monastir in the final.

The event kicks off on Wednesday with a match between the hosts Al Haly and Ferroviario da Beira of Mozambique.

Of the six teams participating in this Nile Conference, only the top four teams will qualify for the final phase to be played from May 21 to 27 in Rwanda, which will join the other four teams from the Sahara Conference.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)