ANG/FRA – Gomez takes Angola reins

LUANDA (Afrobasket 2011) – Former France boss Michel Gomez is back at the helm of a top-15 team in the FIBA World Rankings after being named coach of 10-time African champions Angola.

The 59-year-old, who led France in the summer of 2008, has succeeded Portuguese coach Luis Magalhaes.

Magalhaes steered the Angolans to their 10th African title in Libya and then guided them into the Eighth-Finals of the FIBA World Championship in Turkey.

He and the Angolan Basketball Federation (FAB) did not reach agreement last month on a new contract. Angola are ranked 13th in the world and France are 14th.

Gomez, who first learned of the possibility of coaching Angola through French Basketball Federation Jean-Pierre Siutat, is thrilled with the opportunity to lead the country.

“It is one of the biggest challenges of my professional career,” Gomez said to FIBA.com.

His mission is, according to the FAB, to keep the country at the top when the Afrobasket is staged in Madagascar in August.

A gold medal in that competition would qualify Angola for the London Olympics.

The French media had claimed in early April that Gomez would become the national team coach of the African giants but FAB director manager Toni Sofrimento described the reports as  “speculation” and added: "Currently the federation is focused on the BAI Basket league, nothing else. After the national championship, we'll focus our attention on the Olympic games.

"Then we will announce our coach."

That decision came earlier, however, because Gomez was appointed on April 29.

And that has given him the opportunity to watch the BAI BASKET play-offs which are being staged this month in Angola.

Gomez, who has no experience in Africa but will be assisted by Angolans Artur Barros and Jaime Covilha, admitted “There is some pressure to succeed in this job.”

While preparations are still being planned by the FAB board, the Angolan post-season games have already given Gomez a lot of food for thought regarding the style of play in the country.

“It is very athletic one,” he said.

“They often play on the fast-break and I have also noticed that they like to play one-in-one.”

Asked if the quality of the game is what he expected, Gomez replied: “Absolutely. I am pleased with what I saw.”

This is the first time the FAB has offered the job to a non-Portuguese speaker.

Frenchman Gomez does speak English, and like the FAB, says he and the players will be able to communicate in the basketball language.

“My assistant coach (Barros) speaks very good French, so it will make things even easier,” Gomez said.

Joking about his language skills, Gomez says he’s making progress in the local tongue.

“I have been in Luanda for four days, I have been watching a lot of TV and I already can say ‘Bom dia (good morning), Obrigado (thank you).’

While Gomez is an unknown for many Angolans, FAB deputy chairman and former Angolan international Jean Jacques Conceicao is not among them.

In the mid 1990’s, Conceicao played for French side Limoges under Gomez.

Julio Chitunda
FIBA