Luanda - The secretary-general of the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MINJUD), Cátia Teixeira, said this Wednesday, in Luanda, that funds had been allocated for Angola's preparation and participation in AFCON'2023, which took place in Côte d' Ivoire.
This communication from MINJUD follows statements by the president of the Angolan Football Federation (FAF), Artur de Almeida e Silva, on the eve of the continental competition, that the national team underwent the preparation program with borrowed funds.
At the same time, the FAF leader said that until the start of the continental competition the federation had received only a fifth of the amount needed and approved for the event, where Angola reached the quarter-finals.
In an explanation to the press, at the Sports Gallery, the MINJUD secretary-general, Cátia Teixeira said that 1.407.516.708,84kz (roughly $1.69 million) was given for the AFCON'2023 campaign.
She went on to disclose that, in addition to the referred value, there was an increase of kz 93.031.056,00 ($111.47k).
After progressing to the round of 16, according to the source, MINJUD also made kz 2.230.000.000,00 ($2.68 million) available, contradicting the FAF leader's statements on National Team's lack of support.
She indicated that previously, through the ministerial secretariat, there was financing for Angola's double commitment, namely the Cosafa Cup and the race for the participation in the AFCON'2023.
For these two missions, 1.188.046.113,00KZ ($1.423.624) and another 593.355.272,00 ($711.012) for other expenses of the National Team.
The amount given to the FAF management via the Youth and Sports Support Fund was also released through the 2022-23 program contract between the federation and a consortium constituted by Sonangol, ENDIAMA and SODIAM for 2022-2024.
Overall, Artur Almeida e Silva's board received a total of 7.356.077.458,16 ($8.814.714) from the Angolan State.
The National Team reached the quarter-finals, having beaten Mauritania (3-2), Burkina Faso (2-0), Namibia (3-0) in five games, drawn with Algeria (1-1) and lost to Nigeria (0-1).
Remember, the national team also reached the quarter-finals in the Ghana`2008 and Angola`2010 editions.
JAD/MC/CF/jmc
