Luanda: Angola is 40 minutes away from lifting the Afrobasket trophy again, with a victory against Mali at 7:00 pm this Sunday, after 12 years of failures in the biggest African basketball festival. Tonight, the country will play for all or nothing at the Kilamba Multipurpose Pavilion, in an unprecedented match against an opponent that has never felt the pressure of a major final. More than 12,000 fans are expected for the "consecration party," in the year Angolans celebrate the Jubilee of National Independence, achieved on November 11, 1975.

According to Angola Press News Agency, Angola unites around 12 young men, who with enthusiasm and belief seek to restore the nation to the African podium, after decades of dominance, interrupted in 2015. The response on the field has been painful, but convincing. There are five games and the same number of victories, achieved "through fire and iron", with an unshakable belief, revealing the love for a country that needs everyone to rise again.

Indeed, Afrobasket is more than just a sporting event; it is an opportunity for Angola to reconcile and joyfully celebrate a 50-year journey marked by enormous challenges, many of them still worrying, especially in the area of socioeconomic development. These have been 12 years with the cry of victory stuck in our throats, defeats that have interrupted the victorious cycle of a country that, despite a long title drought, remains the king of basketball in Africa, thanks to 12 victories already achieved in the continental competition.

Angola heads into tonight's competition with a history of 12 trophies won; six more than Egypt and Senegal. The King of Afrobasket is about to resurface. And he will resurface before his people and with the strength instilled by his ancestors, because the title must remain in Angola. The time is now for everyone to join hands, unite their voices, hearts, emotions, and feelings for a common purpose: the much-desired title.

We are aware of the difficulties that Mali will present, but the country believes that the heroic and talented Angolan players are capable of victory. They deserve it, Angolans deserve it. The nation needs this victory. Everyone for Angola!