Pretoria: The point guard Souleyman Diabaté and the winger Rigoberto Mendonza have joined the Petro de Luanda team in Pretoria, South Africa, as the team gears up to compete in the final phase of the Basketball African League (BAL), scheduled to take place from the 6th to the 14th of this month.

According to Angola Press News Agency, with the arrival of Diabaté and Mendonza, Petro de Luanda’s squad is now complete and ready to train at the SunBeat Arena on Thursday. The training session will primarily focus on helping the players acclimate to both the venue and the current low temperatures in Pretoria.

The defending champions are set to make their quarter-final debut against APR from Rwanda on Saturday at 3 pm. The Angolan squad, now at full strength, includes players such as Childe Dundo, Gerson Domingos, Eduardo Simo, Kendrick Ray, Samkelo Cele, Glofate Buiamba, Cléusio Castro, Aboubakar Gakou, Yanick Moreira, along with Diabaté and Mendonza.

Furthermore, it is noteworthy that a young player from the Na
tional Basketball Association (NBA) academy will also be joining the team, adding to the squad’s depth and potential as they aim to defend their championship title.