Julio-Chitunda-Column
09/06/2014
Julio Chitunda's African Message
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A lot of fresh blood for Angola women team

SHEFFIELD (Julio Chitunda's African Message) - The long-awaited revamp of Angola's women's national team is now a reality, and it came in a shocking way for some influential players who hoped to be wearing the colours of their country for much longer.

Age has been an undeniable topic when it comes to discuss the future of the AfroBasket Women reigning champions.

Five out of 12 Angolans who clinched their second consecutive African title last summer in Maputo, Mozambique, were 30 or older.

By the time the Angolans make their FIBA World Championship for Women debut later this summer in Turkey (27 September-5 October), only Clarisse Mpaka and Luisa Tomas will be over 30 years of age.

Head coach Anibal Moreira announced Angola's preliminary squad on Friday, and, despite the awaited team revamping, it caused debate about the team's chances in Turkey.

Nacissela Mauricio was named the MVP of the past two AfroBasket for Women editions, but her international record has not moved Moreira's decision either.

"Sorry, at this moment I am not in position to comment on the preliminary squad selection. Perhaps, you should ask the head coach," Mauricio told me when I asked her to explain her absence from Moreira's list.

Nevertheless, Mauricio is not the only big cut from Moreira's selection.

Catarina Camufal, also 34 and an electrifying point guard who has not missed an international tournament since she first played for her country's senior team at AfroBasket Women 2005, will not continue her world stage record after playing at the London Olympics.

With Camufal out, Moreira is set to rely on 23-year-old back-up guard Fineza Eusebio, and 19-year-old Rosa Gala, who keeps making headlines in the national championship for her solid performances.

If Moreira is to remain at the helm of Angola beyond the 2014 World Championship for Women, then 35-year-old Astrida Vicente may have waved goodbye to her national team career with two points in the Final of the last AfroBasket Women against Mozambique.

Like, Mauricio, Camufal and Vicente, Ngiendula Filipe's hard work in the low post might not be needed in the future as the 32-year-old was not included in Moreira's list.

In addition to the African champions' facelift, both Madalena Felix and Felizarda Jorge retired from their playing careers.

"No, it was not a personal decision to quit the national team. I have been playing well, and remain committed to my club," said Mauricio who turned 34 a few days after Moreira made his selection public.

Although Moreira has in the past stated that they will compete to move beyond their World Championship Group D, which includes China, Serbia and the USA, for the 1992 Olympian, Turkey 2014 is all about the future of women's basketball in the country.

"We are focusing on AfroBasket Women 2015, and we want to retain our African title," he told a local newspaper.

Since the Angolans won their first AfroBasket Women, after stunning the 11-time African champions Senegal, they made it clear they were not willing to step off the podium any time soon, and Mozambique 2013 confirmed their continental intentions.

Moreira's latest decision should not really be much of a shock, although cutting Mauricio, the national team captain, might mean going to the battle ground with only half of their weapons, despite most of Moreira's selections having represented the country at youth level.

Take a look at Angola's preliminary squad: Fineza Eusebio, Sonia Guadalupe, Luisa Tomas, Nadir Manuel, Clarisse Mpaka, Whitney Miguel, Artemis Barbosa, Rosa Gala, Leticia Andre, Helena Zumo, Ana Goncalves, Merciana Fernandes, Rosemira Daniel, Helena Viegas and Mafalda Barcelos.

Overall, there are no winners or losers in all this process. Instead there is hope for a country struggling to find new talents to compete against the best in the world. 

Julio Chitunda

FIBA

FIBA's columnists write on a wide range of topics relating to basketball that are of interest to them. The opinions they express are their own and in no way reflect those of FIBA.

FIBA takes no responsibility and gives no guarantees, warranties or representations, implied or otherwise, for the content or accuracy of the content and opinion expressed in the above article.

Julio Chitunda

Julio Chitunda

Julio Chitunda, a University of Sheffield alumni and former semi-professional player, has worked for a number of Portuguese media outlets as well as The Press Association and covered international basketball for over a decade. Through his column, he offers an insight into basketball on the world's second biggest continent.