Africa-Press – Angola. Angolan international Bruno Fernando has already joined, this Sunday, the preparation work of the hendeca African champions, who are designing the fourth and penultimate qualifying window for the 2023 World Cup at the Centro de Alto Rendimento de Sangalhos, Portugal. from the 26th to the 28th of the current month, in Abidjan, capital of Côte d’Ivoire.
With the integration of the Houston Rokects pole from the North American Basketball League (NBA), the pre-selected group for the “Abidjan operation” is practically complete, despite Sílvio Sousa, a pole who exchanged North American basketball for French , remain absent from the work of the National Pre-Selection.
The arrival of Bruno Fernando, two meters and six centimeters, 23 years old, African Under-16 and Under-18 champions, respectively, will increase competition in position five, a zone that for a while has been the most vulnerable of African hendeca champions.
The player’s integration pleased the trio of coaches, consisting of Josep Clarós “Pep”, Aníbal Moreira and Miguel Pontes Lutonda. As the national coach had predicted, given the importance of this last stage of the Asian World Cup race, there was a need for the National Team to be present in Abidjan with its best units, similarly to what will happen with other nations. , who are strongly engaged in achieving the access pass to the 2023 World Cup.
The African Under-16 and Under-18 champion will certainly be an asset to the Angolan team, which is looking for its sixth consecutive presence in a World Cup final phase, ninth overall.
Meanwhile, Josep Clarós “Pep” called at the last minute, the post of Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Eduardo Mingas Francisco, increasing to 22, the number of pre-selected.
At the age of 18, two meters, Eduardo Mingas Francisco is part of the preparation work of the African hendeca champions for the first time. The National Pre-Selection entered, this week, the last phase of work, aiming at the dispute of the fourth and penultimate qualifying window African Zone for the World Cup in Japan, Philippines and Indonesia, respectively.
The physical component continues to dominate the training sessions of the national “five”. In fact, the Catalan coach reiterated the need for the group to be physically well prepared.
“Given the high degree of difficulty that we will find in this window, we have to be physically very well prepared, to face opponents more naturally”, he said.
Today, Tuesday, two more training sessions are planned, at the prestigious Centro de Alto Rendimento de Sangalhos, in Portugal, stage for the pre-competitive stage of the Angolan team.
Here is the list of the 22 players pre-selected: Childe Dundão, Dimitri Maconda, Gerson Domingos, André Nsingue (bases); Leonel Paulo, Jerónimo Luís, Francisco Gomes, Joel António, Bamba Cissé, Ângelo Alexandre, Marcos Bala and António Monteiro (extremes); Bruno Fernando, Sílvio Sousa, Teotónio Dó, Aboubakar Gakou, Jilson Bango, Gilson Martins, Pedro Bengui, Eduardo Mingas Francisco and João Fernandes (posts).
Technician “Closes” Tomorrow Entrance Door
The national coach, Josep Clarós “Pep”, established tomorrow as the deadline for athletes to present themselves in the work of the National Pre-Selection, which works in Lisbon to prepare the dispute of the fourth and penultimate qualifying window of the African Zone for the World Cup. of the World Cup 2023, taking place from the 26th to the 28th of the current month in the capital of Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan.
After the integration of the pole from the pole of the Houston Rockets, on Sunday, Sílvio Sousa is the only one called up by Pep Clarós who has not yet been present at the concentration at the Centro de Alto Rendimento de Sangalhos, where the hendecacampeões set up the “staff staff” to the “operation” Abidjan.
Most of the players who play in the diaspora are already working with those coming from domestic competition, namely Pedro Bengui, Dimitri Maconda, Marcos Bala, António Monteiro and João Fernandes. With the working group almost composed, the pre-selection intends to carry out three to four control games, before traveling to the competition stage.
Angola occupies the third place of Group E, with six points, against eight and seven of Côte d’Ivoire and Cape Verde, in the first and second positions, respectively. Nigeria (six), Uganda (five) and Guinea (four) occupy the immediate places of the league table.
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