Bastos Achieves Historic First for Africa in Copa Libertadores

During Botafogo’s celebratory bus parade through Rio de Janeiro, marking the club’s inaugural Copa Libertadores championship, defender Bastos also acknowledged a distinct historical achievement. Bastos had previously played in Angola, Russia, Italy, and Saudi Arabia before joining the Brazilian team. The Angolan international has become the first African footballer to secure a victory in South America’s top continental club tournament. While hoisting the trophy was an “incredible feeling,” Bastos attributed the victory to the club and its supporters. “Congratulations to the whole Botafogo family… a historic result,” the 33-year-old stated in an Instagram post. He added, “It’s a reward for all the hard work of all Botafogo employees. The trophy is for you fans. Thank you for your support.” This accomplishment was also celebrated in his home country, located over 6,000km away. Joao Lusevikueno, a former vice-president of Angola’s football federation, informed BBC Sport Africa that “This brings a lot of prestige for him, Angolan football and the Palancas Negras (national side).” He further noted, “The Copa Libertadores is very difficult to win. You will see good players in very competitive teams.” “To be able to lift that trophy means a lot to us as Angolans. I’m very happy for him,” Lusevikueno concluded. Botafogo additionally holds the top position in the Brazilian league, with two matches left in the season. Despite being a central figure in the celebrations, even being photographed holding the trophy while asleep on the return flight, Bastos was compelled to observe the final match against fellow Brazilian club Atletico Mineiro from the sidelines due to an injury that prevented his participation. The game proved to be a tense affair, particularly after Botafogo midfielder Gregore received a red card in only the second minute; nevertheless, the Rio-based team ultimately secured a 3-1 victory in Buenos Aires on Saturday. South American football expert Tim Vickery informed BBC Sport Africa that “Bastos was originally a reserve but in the course of this season he has become a vital member of the starting line-up.” Vickery elaborated, stating, “The moment when Botafogo came closest to letting slip the Copa Libertadores title was when centre-back Adryelson failed to get enough power on a header back to the goalkeeper. Luckily for him, Vargas of Atletico Mineiro put the chance over the bar and the weary ten men of Botafogo did not have to play extra time.” He added, “It was a moment when Bastos was badly missed, as Adryelson was only playing because the Angolan suffered an injury in the previous match.” Bastos was a member of the Lazio team that defeated Atalanta 2-0 to claim the Coppa Italia in 2019. Bartolomeu Jacinto Quissanga, known as Bastos, was born in Luanda and commenced his professional football journey with his local club, Petro Atletico. He subsequently moved to Europe, joining Russian club Rostov in 2013, a common progression for African players. His career then included stints with Lazio and Saudi Arabian team Al Ain, during which he accumulated multiple trophies. His accolades include a Russian Cup in his debut season with Rostov, followed by the Coppa Italia and Italian Super Cup in 2019, and the Saudi title in the 2022-23 season, prior to his transfer to Botafogo in August of the previous year. Although primarily a central defender, his proficiency with the ball has contributed to the team’s leading position in the Brazilian championship, with two matches still to be played. Vickery further commented, “Botafogo typically seek to impose themselves on the game and the ability of Bastos to pass the ball out of defence helps the ball reach the team’s impressive front four.” He concluded, “His contribution has been extremely important.” Bastos is also a recognized international player, having earned more than 50 caps since his debut in 2011. He participated in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in both 2013 and 2019, and played in all but one of the recent qualifying matches, assisting Angola in securing a spot in next year’s tournament in Morocco. Lusevikueno remarked, “Bastos is in very good shape and the supporters like him a lot.” He added, “We all hope he will be part of the Palancas Negras next year (at Afcon).” Thousands of supporters participated in beach-front festivities as Botafogo showcased the Copa Libertadores trophy on Sunday. The Copa Libertadores, which commenced in 1960, has historically seen few African players, with participating teams predominantly comprising domestic talent. Given that the injured Bastos was absent from Botafogo’s victory, Ghana’s Prince Amoako continues to be the sole African representative to have played in a South American club final. The midfielder played for Sporting Cristal in the second leg of the 1997 tournament, where the Peruvian team was defeated 1-0 on aggregate by Brazil’s Cruzeiro. Considering that players from Nigeria and Ghana participated in the initial phases of this season’s Libertadores, a question arises: could this pave the way for more African footballers to compete in the tournament and replicate Bastos’s achievement of winning the trophy? Vickery’s response to this query is “a guarded ‘perhaps’.” He clarified, “There are often a few Africans dotted around the lesser South American leagues, but for the most part, for the best African players most roads lead to Europe, with some going to the Middle East.” “Emmanuel Adebayor was an exception, joining Olimpia of Paraguay for the 2020 Libertadores – an interesting experiment cut short by the Covid-19 pandemic,” Vickery noted. He continued, “Brazil, though, is increasingly becoming a global competition, a kind of South American version of the Premier League.” “There were players from five different South American nations on the field in Saturday’s final, plus one coach from Argentina and another from Portugal,” he pointed out. Vickery concluded, “The likes of [Netherlands forward] Memphis Depay and [Denmark’s] Martin Braithwaite are now making their living in Brazil – and there seems no reason why they could not in the future be joined by some big-name Africans.”