ANGOLA - Ready to hold its own

Angola has dominated their continent for more than two decades, winning nine FIBA Africa Championship titles. After their ninth place showing at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, the Angolans will face another big challenge at the Olympics.

Angola captured eight FIBA Africa Championship titles between 1989 and 2005, losing only in 1997 to Senegal. So when Alberto Carvalho replaced former coach Mario Palma at the helm before the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, he knew expectations were high.

Carvalho, who spent 20 years as a coach in Portugal before returning to Angola to coach Petro Atletico in Luana, did not disappoint as the boss of the National Team. He led the team to a ninth-place finish - the best-ever performance for an African team at the event - in the Far East tournament.

One reason why Carvalho, whose nickname is "Ginguba", was excited about coaching in Angola was his desire to get involved in the basketball federation's project to build indoor courts in various provinces of the country, as well as the capital Luanda. The initiative was supported by the President of the Republic of Angola, Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, a former basketball player who believed that sports could enhance the country's image and give people in the country something to be proud of.

While other teams like Nigeria and Senegal have a lot of talent, Angola have been able to dominate Africa because of their continuity and stability. The National Team has a strong nucleus players from Primero de Agosto Luanda club and Petro Atletico De Luanda. In most African countries, most big prospects leave to play in richer leagues but that is not the case in Angola.

After the retirement of Angolan legend Jean-Jacques Conceiçao, the emblematic and charismatic local star, and with Miguel Lutonda hitting the latter stages of his career, Carvalho has rebuilt his team around a younger generation, using a more balanced offense to make sure that every player is involved. Forward Olimpio Cipriano, who has just been elected the MVP of the Angolan National League, and power forward Joaquim "Kikas" Gomes are now the big scorers of this squad, alongside the undersized power forward but always effective Eduardo Mingas.

Under Carvalho's watch, Angola captured gold at the 2007 FIBA Africa Championship with a victory on home soil over Cameroon. That came one year after their impressive ninth-place finish at the FIBA World Championship in Japan, the highest position ever for an African team in the competition in more than 50 years!

Though Angola are in Group B at the Olympics with the United States and world champions Spain, two of the favourites to win it all, they are determined to hold their own. Looking back at Japan, the Angolans would have claimed the scalp of Germany had Dirk Nowitzki not enjoyed one of his finest hours. He had 47 points in that triple overtime triumph for the Germans. The Angolans were also close to upsetting eventual champions Spain and European powerhouses France. Angola would appear to have only gotten better since their run in the Far East.


How did they qualify?
FIBA Africa Championship 2007
1st, (6 W - 0 L)

Results
Aug-15th 2007    Angola b. Rwanda    109-66
Aug-18h 2007    Angola b. Cape Verde    100-44
Aug-19th 2007    Angola b. Morocco    108-58

Quarterfinal
Aug-21st 2007    Angola b. Central African Republic    78-51

Semi-final
Aug-23rd 2007    Angola b. Cape Verde    93-60

Final
Aug-25th 2007    Angola b. Cameroon    86-72