Atlético Petróleos de Luanda, commonly known as Petro de Luanda, is an Angolan basketball club based in Luanda. Established in 1976, the team is part of a multi-sports club which includes football and handball teams as well. It competes at the local level, in the Luanda Provincial Basketball Championship and in the Angola National Basketball Championship. Additionally, the club plays at the continental level, in the Basketball Africa League (BAL), which they have won in 2024.
Petro has been one of the most successful teams in Angola, having won the second most Angolan championships with 16 titles, trailing only Primeiro de Agosto, and sharing the record for most Angolan Cups with 14 cups. The team has won three continental titles as well, having won the FIBA African Champions Cup in 2006 and 2015, and the BAL in 2024.
History The Atlético Petróleos de Luanda club was founded on 14 January 1980 from the merger of three clubs, Grupo Sonangol, Clube Atlético de Luanda and Benfica de Luanda. The establishment was a result of business cooperation after the independence of Angola from colonisation by Portugal. Another reason was that the country's oil company aimed to reintegrate with the community through sports. The club started with football before later establishing its basketball section.
Petro de Luanda won its first Angolan Basketball League in 1989, which was followed by seven more championships, as well as six Angolan Cups, during the 1990s.
During the 2000s, Petro won the league championship in 2006 and 2007 but saw arch-rivals Primeiro de Agosto win most of the trophies this decade. On 26 November 2006, Petro de Luanda won its first-ever continental title after winning the 2006 FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup in Lagos. They beat Primeiro de Agosto in the final, and Mílton Barros was named the tournament MVP.
The 2010s were more balanced for the Angolan League in term of competition, with Petro winning the 2011, 2015 and 2019 title. On 19 December 2015, they won their second continental title after taking the 2015 FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup at home in Luanda. Under head coach Lazare Adingono, Petro defeated another Angolan team Rec do Libolo in the final. American point guard Manny Quezada received MVP honours.
As the champions of the 2018–19 national championship, Petro qualified for the inaugural season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The BAL was a new initiate co-organised by FIBA Africa and the NBA.
In September 2020, Petro announced the signing of Brazilian head coach José Neto. Under Neto, a period of domination on the national level began.
In the 2021–22 season, Petro won the triple crown; winning its 15th national title, the Angolan Cup and the Supercup. In all league games, Petro was unbeaten and had a 31–0 record including the playoffs. In the same season, Petro had another successful run in the BAL which ended with them losing the finals to US Monastir. Ahead of the finals, head coach José Neto won the inaugural BAL Coach of the Year award.
In 2023, Petro de Luanda won its 14th Angolan Cup, overtaking Primer de Agosto to become the club with the most cup titles in the country's history. In the following 2023–24 season, Petro struggled in the Kalahari Conference of the BAL with a 2–2 record. On March 20, 2024, Petro announced it had terminated its contract with José Neto, ending his four-year tenure as head coach. Sergio Valdeolmillos was hired as the team's new coach four days later. Under Valdeolmillos, Petro recovered and on June 1, 2024, won their first-ever BAL championship after defeating Al Ahly Ly from Libya in the final.
In the 2024–25 season, Petro once again won the national treble. In the 2025 BAL season, they advanced to a record-extending fifth semifinal, and made it to back-to-back finals after defeating Al Ittihad Alexandria from Egypt. Petro lost the final, however, to Al Ahli Tripoli from Libya.
Honours Honours No.Years LeaguesAngolan Basketball League Winner 181989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25Runner-up 72000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2017Luanda Provincial Championship Winner 22004, 2005Runner-up 12012 CupsAngola Cup Winner 151990, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2014, 2022, 2023, 2025Runner-up 5 2002, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2016Wlademiro Romero Super Cup Winner 101994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2006, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023Runner-up 102001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016Victorino Cunha Cup Winner 12010Runner-up 52012, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 International competitionsFIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup Winner2 2006, 2015Runner-up 61994, 1999, 2000, 2007, 2009, 2012BALWinner2024 Runners-up 2 2022, 2025 Third place 1 2021Fourth place2023African Club Winners' Cup Winner0 –Runner-up 11998 International tournamentsSupertaça Compal Winner 1 2012Runner-up 0 –
Players
Current roster The following is Petro de Luanda's roster for the pre-season of the 2023 BAL season.
Notable players
Edmar VictorianoFVictor de CarvalhoSGBenjamim RomanoPGCarlos MoraisSG
Staff Name Position Artur BarrosVice-President of Basketball Diogo JoãoDirector of Basketball João CarvalhoHead of Basketball Department J. NetoHead coach Benjamim AvôAssistant coach
Head coaches
Coach Years Trophies won Wlademiro Romero (18) 1989–1999 8× Angolan League (1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999 6× Angolan Cup 1990, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998 4× Angolan Supercup (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997) Paulo Jorge (1) 1999–May 2000 1× Angolan Cup (2000) Victorino Cunha (1) Jun 2000–Feb 2001 1× Angolan Cup (2001) Nuno Teixeira (0) Feb 2001–Sep 2002 – Raúl Duarte (1) Sep 2002–Jun 2005 1× Angolan Cup 2004 Alberto de Carvalho (5) Jul 2005–Jul 2009 2× Angolan League (2006, 2007) 1× African Champions Cup (2006) 1× Angolan Cup (2007) 1× Angolan Supercup (2006) Alberto Babo (1) Aug 2009–May 2012 1× Angolan League (2011) Lazare Adingono (5) May 2012–August 2020 2× Angolan League (2015, 2019) 1× African Champions Cup (2015) 2× Angolan Cup (2013, 2014) 1× Angolan Supercup (2015) José Neto September 2020–March 2024 3× Angolan League (2021, 2022, 2023) BAL runner-up (2022); third place (2021)2× Angolan Cup (2022, 2023)3× Angolan Supercup (2021, 2022, 2023) Sergio ValdeolmillosMarch 2024 – presentAngolan League (2024) BAL champions (2024)
Season by season
Angolan League Season Tier League Regular seasonPlayoffsTaça de AngolaInternational competitionsHead coach Finish Played Wins Losses Win% League Result Petro de Luanda2014–151Angolan League2nd18153Champions FIBA ACCChampionsLazare Adingono2015–161Angolan League3rd18144Third placeRunner-up DNQ2016–171Angolan League3rd26197Runner-upRunner-up DNQ2017–181Angolan League2nd32266Runner-up DNQ2018–191Angolan League1st29263Champions ABLQuarterfinalist2019–201Angolan League1st14131CancelledCancelled N/A2020–211Angolan League1st880ChampionsSemifinalistBALThird placeJosé Neto2021–221Angolan League 1st 26 26 0ChampionsWinnersBALRunners-up2022–231Angolan League1st24231ChampionsWinnersBALFourth Place2022–231Angolan League1st22211ChampionsRunners-upBALChampionsSergio Valdeolmillos
BAL SeasonLeagueRegular seasonPostseasonHead coachCaptainConferenceFinishPlayedWinsLossesWin %Petro de Luanda2021BALGroup A1st3301.000Won quarterfinals (Salé) 79–72Lost semifinal (Zamalek) 71–89Won third place game (Patriots) 97–68José NetoCarlos Morais2022BALNile2nd541Won quarterfinals (Salé) 102–89Won semifinal (FAP) 88–74Lost finals (Monastir) 72–832023BALNile1st5501.000Won quarterfinals (ABC) 88–81Lost semifinals (Douanes) 86–92Lost third place game (Stade Malien) 65–732024BALKalahari2nd422.500Lost seeding game (Monastir) 67–70Won quarterfinals (Douanes) 66–65Won semifinals (Cape Town) 96–86 OTWon finals (Al-Ahly Ly) 107–94Sergio ValdeolmillosChilde Dundão2025BALSahara2nd633.500Lost seeding game (APR) 57–75Won quarterfinals (US Monastir) 95–84Won semifinals (Al Ittihad) 96–74Lost finals (Al-Ahly Tripoli) 67–88Season record231761 conference title 1 BAL championshipPlayoffs record17107
See also Petro Atlético Football Petro Atlético Handball Petro Atlético Roller Hockey BIC Basket Federação Angolana de Basquetebol
References
External links AfricaBasket profile Facebook profile Sportstats profile