DILI, 21 July 2025 (TATOLI) – The Organizing Committee of the 12th CPLP Games has revised the football schedule to provide athletes with adequate time for rest and recovery.
The decision, made during a technical meeting at the Dili Convention Center (CCD), involved representatives from Angola, Cape Verde, Portugal, and Timor-Leste.
In a press conference following the meeting, João Campos, head of the football tournament, said the rescheduling was unanimously agreed upon by all delegations.
He noted that the urgent revision was driven by concerns over the demanding pace of the original schedule, which had matches taking place almost daily, limiting athletes’ recovery time.
Under the updated timetable, the Timor-Leste vs. Cape Verde match, initially scheduled for today, has been moved to Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. at Dili Municipal Stadium.
Portugal will face Angola later that evening at 9:00 p.m., also at Dili Municipal Stadium.
No matches will be held on Wednesday, allowing players a full day of rest, with the tournament resuming Thursday: Angola vs. Timor-Leste at 7:00 p.m., followed by Portugal vs. Cape Verde at 9:00 p.m.
The third-place playoff is set for Saturday, 26 July, at 1:00 p.m. at the Becora field, while the final will kick off at 4:00 p.m. at Dili Municipal Stadium.
Rui Pedro Bragança, head of the Portuguese football delegation, welcomed the changes, emphasizing that playing on consecutive days could compromise players’ health and safety.
Angola’s head coach, Mário Catala, shared similar concerns, highlighting the physical strain on young athletes, particularly the Cape Verde team, which had just played Angola and was initially scheduled to compete again the following day.
Journalist: Afonso do Rosário
Editora: Isaura Lemos de Deus
Translation: Camilio de Sousa
