Africa Club Championship: Petro Atletico flies in

One of Angola’s top clubs, Petro Atletico de Luanda, underlined its determination to succeed in the 21st FIBA Africa Champions Club Cup Competition for Men as its contingent flies into Lagos on Friday a week ahead of the first jump-ball.

Although two teams are representing Angola in the competition scheduled for November 17 through 26 at the Sports Hall of the Lagos National Stadium, officials of the Angolan side said it would arrive early to acclimatise for the biggest club tournament in the continent.

The other Angolan club in the championship, which is being hosted by the Dodan Warriors basketball club of Lagos, is 2004 champion, Desportivo 1. De Agosto Luanda.

The proprietor of the Warriors, Sam Ahmedu, said two of the teams from the Ivory Coasts, Africa Sports and Zenith would arrive in Nigeria by road this weekend.

Nigeria champion, Plateau Peaks basketball club of Jos will hit Lagos on also this weekend as it hoped to roundoff its prepartion Friday, officials said on Tuesday.

“The championship is being dedicated to the memory of the late First Vice President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Adesegun Erinle, who was killed last month in Akure,” Ahmedu said.

He confirmed that the referees for the tournament would be accommodated at the Union Bank Sports Club House in Surulere, while the FIBA Africa hierarchy would stay at the Eko Hotels and Suites on Victoria Island.

The match commissioners, according to the chairman of the Main Organising Committee will be lodged at Larboughetti Hotel, also on Victoria Island.

In all, 12 teams across the continent are participating in the competition, with ABC of Abidjan, Ivory Coast the defending champion.

Other teams taking part in the finals includes Inter Clube of DR Congo, Club Onatra of Congo Brazaville, Back basketball club of Guinea, Kenya Commercial Bank basketball club and ESPN basketball club of South Africa.

Meanwhile FIBA Africa office in Abidjan have released list of neutral referees, match commissioners, statistician and other support personel from the secretariat of African body.

The list have Neutral Referees Chlif Abdelilah from Morocco, Abreu Mihumua from Mozambique, Bouraïma Moussa from Republic of Benin and Ghana's Idrissu Ayambire.

The four match commissioners listed for the finals includes Dr Gueye Aboucar Gueye from Guinea, Abdallah Haidara from Mali, Mrs Engama Inès from Cameroon and FIBA Africa Zone-3 president Nigeria's Muktar Adamu Khaleh.

The continental body officials coming for the finals include its President Allain EKRA, Secretary General, Alphose Bile, President of Competition Commision Maurof MenjuerStatitician is Obande Ogbole while the duo of Julien Bassan and Blaise Culibaly takes charge of the temporary Fiba Africa secretariat throughout the duration of the finals.

Media accreditation for the coverage of the finals can be filled and submitted online through www.dodanwarriors.com