LUANDA (Angola) - Yanick Moreira had a breakthrough campaign at the 2014 World Cup, an event that propelled his career to new heights.
He finished his first World Cup with team highs of 17.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, and he went on to become a regular member of the Black Antelopes.
Moreira followed up with another stellar World Cup performance in 2019 and made countless appearances for Angola.
However, with Angola set to host the quadrennial FIBA AfroBasket tournament from August 12 to 24, Moreira’s future with the eleven-time AfroBasket champions remains uncertain.
The 33-year-old center, who currently plays for the Angolan champions, Petro de Luanda, has not played for the Angolan national team since June 30, 2021. On that day, Angola finished with a 0–2 record during the Tokyo Olympics qualifiers in Lithuania.
FIBA.basketball sat down with Moreira to discuss his four-year absence from the national team, among other topics.
"Have you retired from the Angolan national team?" He was asked.
"No, I think the coach is just trying to look at other players and move in a different direction," Moreira explained.
"We have a lot of young guys who have been doing great so far. They're also playing at a high level. If the coach calls my name, I will be happy to be there. If not, I will just keep working hard. I can’t hang my head and keep thinking 'what if,' 'what if.' I can’t change what people think about me.
“They know I'm available. If they call me, I'll be happy to be there. If they don't, I'm sure I'll be there to support my guys."
The last time Angola hosted the AfroBasket in 2007, they won Africa’s most prestigious basketball trophy in front of their home fans.
However, Angola has not won the AfroBasket since 2013.
Moreira played in two editions of AfroBasket, in 2015 and 2017, and experienced the high level of competitiveness firsthand.
Tunisia won the last two AfroBasket tournaments.
With the emergence of Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, and South Sudan, it's hard to predict whether Angola will win the trophy on home soil for the fourth time in a row. They won the trophy in Luanda in 1989, 1999 and 2007.
Angola have been drawn in Group C with South Sudan, Libya and Guinea.
Do you think Angola's continued faltering at the AfroBasket tournament affects the players' motivation to keep fighting?
"If you're African, you want to win AfroBasket. That's a fact," Moreira said.
"Everybody wants to be there. Everyone wants to represent their country, especially in Angola, as it has been a long time since our country last hosted the AfroBasket."
Unlike many Angolan players, Moreira has enjoyed significant success at the club level in major leagues.
The 6-foot-10 center has won the G League (2017), the FIBA Champions League (2019), and the Basketball Africa League title (2024) among other domestic league titles across Europe.
However, the AfroBasket remains elusive for Moreira.
"I am blessed to be able to play at a high level for so long in my career. At my age, I'm still here trying to help Petro win another title.
“I have been in the right situation with the right people at the right time. Looking back makes me feel old, but I have done a pretty good job because I have won some big titles that some great Angolan players never won."
How significant is the AfroBasket?
“The AfroBasket means a lot to everybody,” Moreira replied without hesitation.
"It would mean a lot not just to me but to my whole family to go back, play, and win. However, there are a lot of things that don't depend on me. I do my part, which is to work hard every day.
“This AfroBasket is going to be special. There will certainly be pressure on the team, but I'm confident they'll be ready," Moreira concluded.
FIBA