The President, who was questioned during a visit to the province of Malanje, appealed to the FAF's common sense, despite recognizing that if there are erring clubs, they must be punished, but without the championship and football in Angola being compromised.
"I consider that a very serious situation has been created, if we take into account that football is, at a global level, the sport of crowds, obviously, in Angola it is no different, in Angola football is not just a sport of crowds, but it is a national sport", he highlighted.
For João Lourenço, the situation that has arisen is serious, because it threatens not only the national championship, but also Angolan football itself.
"There must be common sense and if there is a need to punish any offender, let it be done, but this should never jeopardize the continuity of the championship and much less kill Angolan football", he insisted.
The Angolan Football Federation (FAF) suspended, on Friday, Petro de Luanda, coached by Portuguese Alexandre Santos, from all sporting activities, for two years, due to the two-time champions' alleged involvement in corruption schemes.
The punishment is applied for "failure to comply with the duty of collaboration to which he is bound with the FAF, within the scope of the disciplinary process initiated", explained the organization in a statement.
At issue is an audio released on social media in which Petro player Márcio Luvambo confirms that the team he represents paid three million kwanzas to Académica do Lobito to win 1.º de Agosto, in last season's Angola Cup game. .
Petro de Luanda has won the national football championship 17 times, a Girabola record, including the last two editions, both under the command of Alexandre Santos.
The FAF disciplinary body also punished Kabuscorp do Palanca with the penalty of relegation to the second tier, also for corruption, during the qualification for Girabola, suspending the club's president, Bento Kangamba, for four years.
The coach of Académica do Lobito, Agostinho Tramagal, was punished with four years of suspension, in a punishment also for corruption, and 1.º de Agosto was also fined, for failing to comply with his duties with the FAF.
Journalist Adolfo Manuel, from Rádio Nacional de Angola, is also targeted in the FAF statement, for having intermediated the act of corruption involving Kabuscorp and Académica do Lobito, with the files being sent to the regulatory bodies of the profession and to his Employer.
