Africa-Press – Angola. The captain of the Democratic Republic of Congo national team, Christianne Mwasesa, 39, chose the Pearls to face in the first phase of the African Nations Championship taking place in her country from November 27 to December 7.
The athlete linked to 1.o de Agosto had the power to choose in the draw ceremony for the 26th edition of the CAN and is preparing to compete in what could be her last appearance in a continental competition.
In compliance with the protocol prerogatives that give the host team the privilege of choosing the group in which it will play the preliminary phase, the player, who played for several years at 1.o de Agosto, did not hesitate and indicated group B, that of the National Team.
Having finished sixth in the last two editions, the DRC have not had the opportunity to face the African champions in the title round, hence Mwasesa’s anticipation. The choice, it turned out, was strategic, according to the player herself in an interview with the local newspaper Actualité.CD.
“There is always strategy in this type of competition. The choice of this group is strategic. When there is a beast in a competition, it is better to face it first. But listen! It is better to face a big beast first. I consulted the president beforehand and he supported me in choosing Group B”, he explained.
Facing Angola in the “preliminary” group stage, Mwasesa avoids a direct confrontation in the quarter-finals, a stage for which the top four teams from each group qualify.
The last time Angola faced the home team in a preliminary round was in 2018, in the edition held in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
The veteran said she is preparing for whatever comes her way: “Nothing will be easy for us, but it is not impossible. I have confidence in our team. We will work until the end of this competition to present a good image and elevate our country. We will approach this competition game by game”, she said.
This is the first time that the DRC has hosted the African Championship. The games will be played in the twin pavilions of the Martyrs Sports Complex in Kinshasa, built for the 11th Francophonie Games to be held in 2022.
A dozen teams confirmed their presence in the competition and were divided into two groups. Group A includes Congo, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Cape Verde and Kenya. Group B is headed by Angola, and includes the DRC, Tunisia, Guinea, Cameroon and Uganda.
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