Key duo in Angola squad for Kigali FIBA-Africa U18 finals

Just a week after featuring for Angola at the 2016 FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament in Belgrade, Serbia, both Silvio Sousa and Bruno Fernandes have been included on the final roster for the FIBA Africa U18 Championship 2016.

Thursday, July 21, 2016
Angolau2019s Bruno Fernandes (C) vies for the ball with Serbiau2019s Vladimir Stimac (R) during the 2016 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying basketball match. (Net photo)

Just a week after featuring for Angola at the 2016 FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament in Belgrade, Serbia, both Silvio Sousa and Bruno Fernandes have been included on the final roster for the FIBA Africa U18 Championship 2016.

Last week, head coach Manuel Silva ‘Gi’ released Angola’s roster for Africa’s youth top competition, which will runs from July 22-31 in Kigali.

Both players made their debut with the senior team in Belgrade and the team hope they will improve from their fourth-place finish at the 2014 FIBA Africa U-18 Championship in Mali. The duo has been tipped to become key members of Angola’s new basketball generation.

In the meantime, Silva retained the four players; Xavier, Sousa, Valente, Cabanga who were part of the Angolan team that won the 2013 FIBA Africa U-16 Championship in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

In Belgrade, Angola lost two group games – against hosts Serbia and Puerto Rico – and, as result, failed to qualify for the Olympics for the second time in a row.

Angola’s 12-player roster

Glofate Buiamba, Cley Cabanga, Tarcio Domingos, Childe Dundao, Bruno Fernandes, Cristiano Gomes, Ismael Monteiro, Geraldo Santos, Silvio Sousa , Osvaldo Tchipema, Milton Valente and Cristiano Xavier.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw