Angola name Pepe Claros as head coach of men's national team

LUANDA (Angola) - Josep Claros has been confirmed as the head coach of Angolan men's team, the country's Basketball Federation (FAB) announced Wednesday.

The Spaniard, known as Pepe Claros in basketball circles, gets the job after the resignation of Brazilian Jose Neto, who guided the team throughout the 2021 FIBA AfroBasket Qualifiers last November and February 2021.

According to FAB, Claros' agreement with the former African champions will run until the end of this year's AfroBasket set to take place in Kigali, Rwanda from August 25 to September 4.

Before the African Championship, Angola will compete for a place at the Tokyo Games when they enter one FIBA's four Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQT).

The Angolans have been drawn in Group B of the Lithuanian OQT against Slovenia and Poland. Only four of the 24 OQT teams will qualify for the Tokyo Games.

Angola last played at the Olympics in 2008.

Claros becomes the second Spaniard to coach the Angolans after his countryman Moncho Lopez powered Angola to the second-place at 2015 FIBA AfroBasket.

The new head coach of Angola reportedly speaks Catalan, Spanish, English, Portuguese, Italian and French.

It will be Claro's first African basketball experience. 

In December 2014, the Barcelona native had reached an agreement to coach Egypt, but the two parts terminated the deal even before Claros travelled to Cairo.

As well as leading a number of clubs in North, Central and South America and Asia, Claros has coached the national teams of El Salvador and Mexico. 

As coach of Mexico (2010-13), Claros steered the Mexicans to a silver medal at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayaguez.

Angola qualified for the 2021 FIBA AfroBasket on the back of a 4-2. 

FIBA