National football team held at Gabon airport

According to the Angolan Football Federation vice-president, José Carlos Miguel, the Gabonese authorities are demanding that the Angolan delegation carry out a test of the covid-19 RT-PCR, at a time when, in the place, there was no health team for this purpose.

"We've been at the airport for more than two hours, in a room without air conditioning and no chairs to sit on. We can't leave because they say there's a health team coming, but it never comes. They've placed soldiers around the airport so that we don't circulate. That's right. it's absurd" he said.

The president of the Jurisdictional Council of the Angolan Football Federation, Sérgio Raimundo, who was also present at the venue, regretted the fact.

"It is sad and regrettable what we live in Africa. We continue to portray a sad image of who we are. That does not dignify us as Africans. We are confined in a room with no air conditioning and no benches to sit on. There is no water for our players to hydrate." lamented.

The national coach, Pedro Gonçalves, called for FIFA to intervene.

"It is regrettable what we are going through here. They threatened us in Luanda saying that we would suffer reprisals for having demanded that they present their tests before the game. FIFA and CAF have to intervene. It is regrettable. We already knew. that would complicate us, that's why we've prepared well from a logistical point of view. We don't know what time we go to the hotel, or even what time we're going to sleep," he said.

According to the latest FAF 'update', "after hours, they were forced to leave, but the authorities prevented the Angolans from going to the hotel, having remained in the airport yard." The federation's denunciation, as early as this Monday morning, was made through a post on Facebook, accompanied by a video showing the players sitting on the ground outside the airport.

The Angola-Gabon match, in the qualifying phase for the Qatar2022 World Cup, in Luanda, was delayed for more than an hour and a half, due to the failure of the Gabonese team to carry out the Covid-19 tests in Angolan territory.

Even so, FIFA decided to carry out the game, considering the tests that the Gaboneses carried out in their country, two days before the game, won by Angola by 3-1, to be valid.

The two teams face each other again this Tuesday, for the 4th round of qualifying for the Qatar2022 World Cup, starting at 14:00.

The Angolans departed lacking, due to the absence of 'captain' Fredy Ribeiro, who misses the game due to accumulation of yellow cards.

In the African Group F qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar, in 2022, Angola occupies third place, with three points. The group is led by Egypt, with seven, followed by Libya, with six, while Gabon is last, with one.