Primeiro de Agosto warn FCP
ANGOLAN giants Clube Desportivo Primeiro de Agosto have sent a big warning to CAF Champions League opponents FC Platinum as they are not leaving anything to chance in the preparation for the preliminary round clash after announcing the arrival of new coach Zoran Manoljovic Maki from Serbia and a host of new foreign signings during the festive break.
The Girabola champions are gearing up to host the newly crowned Zimbabwe football kings in the first leg of the interclub competition over the weekend of 9-11 February with the return match coming a week later at Mandava.
The Angolans have so far announced the signing of Nigerian midfielder Kehind Yisa Anifowoshe, Congolese striker Jacques Bitumbe and 26 year-old Burundian hitman Fiston Abdul Razak.
The 11-time Girabola champions also hired two defenders Nigerian Wissa and Angolan Bonifacio.
Goalkeeper Neblu has also returned to the squad after representing Angola’s Interclube in the past two seasons, while Cirilo (19 years old) and Mario (20) were promoted from the club’s youth category to join the main squad.
With a squad of 31 players now at his disposal, the new coach Maki is today scheduled to hold a meeting with his players to chart the way forward.
Maki was confirmed last Tuesday as the new man to lead the side in the next two seasons following the departure of compatriot Dragan Jovic who left the club due to health problems.
According to the Angola Press Agency, the coach has already begun to work on the administrative plan for the composition of the squad for the year 2018, a season that the club will be engaged in four competitions, namely Super Cup, Girabola Zap, qualifiers for access to the group stage of the African Champions League and the Angolan Cup League.
Maki has a lot of wait on his shoulders having replaced a man who won two consecutive national championships and a Super Cup.
The team resumed serious business yesterday when the players conducted medical examinations and will have a training camp in the coastal Benguela Province where they will have a 25-day training programme starting from January 5.
According to the vice chairman of the club Paulo Jorge Magueijo, the squad they have assembled is ready to pursue the objectives outlined by the board, such as the retaining of the Girabola title and reach the group stage of the African Champions League.
Their latest signing Anifowoshe has been billed as the next big thing at the club. The 24-year old Nigerian midfielder was acquired from Alitihat of Oman “has good indicators in the position he occupies, which may be of value to the people and blacks who also have, at this time, the league championship African championship.”
Anifowoshe has played for Nigerian teams Kwara United, Sahel FC, and MFM FC.
Congoles Bitumbe (24), is also highly rated after he was scooped form fellow Angolan side Kabuscorp where he was the club’s top goal scorer last season with nine goals, which were seven goals shy of the Girabola 2017 Golden Boot winner Tiago Azulao of Petro de Luanda.
The other reinforcement Fiston Abdul Razak has vast experience having played for former South Africa champions Mamelodi Sundowns in the premiership in the last season. Razak has also played for Kenyan giants Sofapaka.