ANG/VEN - Che Garcia full of praise for Angolans

MADRID (FIBA Americas Championship/AfroBasket/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Angola are going to be extremely tough to play against at the AfroBasket in Cote d'Ivoire.

That's the opinion of Venezuela coach Nestor 'Che' Garcia, whose team has twice faced the African side this week in Madrid in friendly games and lost both times.

Angola won their encounter on Monday, 81-72, and the Argentinian tactician Garcia said: "They have everything. They have dominated the African continent in recent years and are very strong.

"They were a physically superior side…"

Angola then thumped Venezuela again on Wednesday, 63-47.

Since 1989, the Angolans have captured 10 AfroBasket titles.

They had won six in a row going into the tournament in Madagascar two years ago but fell to Tunisia in the Final, a result that cost them a spot in the 2012 Olympics.

The top three sides at the AfroBasket will earn trips to the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain.

Garcia, meanwhile, knows that Venezuela are not going to be as potent offensively as they might have been had Greivis Vasquez been healthy.

The NBA player, one of the league's leading assists men who was traded this summer by the New Orleans Pelicans to the Sacramento Kings, had an operation on his right ankle after the 2012-13 season and has been trying to make it back in time for the FIBA Americas Championship in Caracas.

The tournament tips off on 30 August and the Los Angeles-based doctor who performed the surgery looked at the ankle and recommended this week that Vasquez not play.

"Greivis has made enormous progress since his surgery," said Dr Richard Ferkel.

"We believe that he'll be at full strength in time for training camp next month but believe that it's best that he not take part in the FIBA Americas Championship."

The top four sides at the FIBA Americas Championship will qualify for the World Cup.

FIBA