Malanje - Angolan president João Lourenço has appealed to common sense in relation to the current situation in national football.
The Statesman, who is visiting the north-east province of Malanje, was speaking to the press on Thursday about the FAF's sanction on Petro de Luanda, Académica do Lobito, Kabuscorp do Palanca and 1.º de Agosto clubs.
The president defended common sense, adding that if there is indeed a need to punish any offender, this must be done, without ever disrupting the ongoing of the championship and not even killing Angolan football.
He considered the situation very serious taking into account the fact that football is a crowd sport worldwide , and this is not unlike in Angola, where the football is a national sport.
João Lourenço stated that the situation created threatens not only the National Championship, but threatens Angolan football itself.
“I can't go into more detail because I believe that the Angolan Football Federation and the provincial associations are listening to me and will know how to better handle it to safeguard just two issues: Not compromising the championship and not killing Angolan football” , he stressed.
The matter started last June when an audio was leaked on social media in which coach Agostinho Tramagal reveals details about Académica do Lobito's 1-0 victory against 1.° de Agosto.
In the sound, the coach can be heard saying that he received AKz 3 million from Petro de Luanda to win the game against D'Agosto and rise to first place in Girabola 2022-23.
Agostinho Tramagal reports that he has kept AKz 1 million and the remaining AKz 2 million went to the players who received AKz 100,000 each.
He states that he refused an offer from 1.º de Agosto of AKz7 million to let himself lose and that he did everything to allow Kabuscorp do Palanca to win the semi-final game of the Angola Cup, which did not happen .
Therefore, 1.° de Agosto will face a fine corresponding to 2,000 UCF (1 UCF is equivalent to 88 kwanzas), coach Agostinho "Tramagal" is suspended for four years and pay a fine corresponding to 6,000 UCF.
Kabuscorp do Palanca was dropped from the division, while their president, Bento Kangamba, was punished for four years.
Académica Petróleos Clube do Lobito was sanctioned with a division penalty for corruption in game number 22/2023 of the Angola Cup and a fine corresponding to 80,000 UCF. MC/VM/NIC
