Maputo Academic Sports Association
The Academic Association of Mozambique (the group’s first name) was established in 1963. Historical records feature the following students as the main driving forces and founding members: António Manuel Cardeal Souto e Silva, from Chibuto, Mário Augusto Freire, from Beira, both engineering students, and João Fernando Lima Schwalbach, from Tete, a medical student. At the time, they were studying at the then “Estudos Gerais de Moçambique” (General Mozambican Studies), later University of Lourenço Marques, now the Eduardo Mondlane University. The initial idea of the founding members was to create an association whose primary objective would be to make arrangement for a house that could accommodate students from the northern part of the country. Professor Veiga Simão, the rector at the time, was very pleased with the students’ initiative and encouraged them to ensure that the association they created would encompass other activities.
The founding members then decided to create a Student Association with broader horizons. The aforementioned home was later built and still exists today at Avenida Mao Tsé Tung, designated as residence number 2. It used to be a women’s residence and is currently used as a residence for postgraduate students ( ). The initial activity of the Academic Association focused on socializing among students including cultural and recreational activities.
In an election in which 12 members participated, the then medical student João Fernando Lima Schwalbach was elected as the first president. To designate Member number 1, a draw was held among the three founding students: António M. C. S. e Silva, Mário A. Freire, and João F. L. Schwalbach, with the latter being elected as Member No. 1.
Subsequently, the Association became involved in student and professional sports activities, namely badminton, basketball, and futsal. As a matter of fact, Prof. Dr. Ângelo Emídio Rodrigues Pereira became the national academic champion in Badminton.
The Articles of Association of Académica were published in the Official Gazette on August the 16th, 1968, under the name: Associação Académica de Moçambique. After João Schwalbach, the following individuals served as president of Associação Académica de Moçambique: Rui Gonzalez, Arnaldo Lopes Pereira, Alfaro Cardoso, Paulo Ivo Garrido, and Romeu Rodrigues. Arnaldo Lopes Pereira served two terms as president.
Due to historical/political reasons, the association activities were interrupted from 1978 to 1986. Upon resumption in 1986, it adopted the name AADM – Associação Académica Desportiva de Maputo. Under this name, the association has not been able to update its articles of association. ). Florentino Geraldes Abílio Ferreira was subsequently appointed President. In 2007, the Articles of Association update process was carried out so as to conform the association with the required sports legal standards. During the updating process, the Association was renamed AAM – Associação Académica de Maputo. The Articles of Association were approved on June the 30th, 2007, by the Maputo City Government and were officially published on November the 23rd, 2007, in the Official Gazette – III SERIE – number 47 – 2nd Attachment.
At the general meeting held on December the 3rd, 2012, Mr. Altenor Pereira was elected president of the AAM.
Despite the challenges the association had to go through, the Association has focused on high-level competitive sports. Within the framework of the rules and regulations to which it is subject, ACADÉMICA has sought to remain faithful to its long-standing motto: to combine competitive sport with studies, work, and academic and technical/professional training of coaches and its athletes. As a matter of principle, ACADÉMICA represents UEM – Eduardo Mondlane University in professional sports. It is affiliated with the National Federations of Basketball, Football, Volleyball, and Hockey, as well as the Mozambican Football League and associations of these sports in the city of Maputo. In the past, it has been involved in a wide range of sports at a high competitive level: basketball, volleyball, handball, athletics, futsal, badminton, gymnastics, and skating.
Over time, Académica’s potential became evident as the club won several national and regional titles in basketball and volleyball. In basketball, Académica was national champion in both the men’s (1994 and 2000) and women’s (1998–2001) categories. The club reached its peak in 2001 when it won the continental title in women’s basketball in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and was crowned African champion. Both the men’s and women’s volleyball teams have also made their mark, winning several national titles (the first in 2004 for the men and in 2010 for the women). Since then, the club has frequently won the national volleyball championships and is currently the club with the most national titles in men’s volleyball. Its dominance was revealed in 2021 when it won both the men’s and women’s competitions at the Zone VI (Southern Africa) African Championships, held at pavilhão Gimnodesportivo da UEM. In 2022, the women’s team successfully defended their titles in Zambia, becoming two-time champions, while the men’s team became African vice-champions in Zone VI (Southern Africa). Académica is currently setting the standard in Zone VI of Africa, having won two gold, one silver and one bronze medal.
In football, several titles were won in the youth categories, and the senior men’s team performed well, earning them a place in the biggest football championship in Mozambique, the Moçambola, as well as the second division of the interprovincial championship in 2019. These successes catapult the association, and consequently the names of UEM and Mozambique, beyond borders.
So as to meet the demand for sports within the students´ community and the public in a general sense, including university, professional and recreational sports, the three leaders — José Dias Marques, Altenor Pereira and Florentino Ferreira, who were president of the AAM in 1992 — initiated the democratisation of sports at UEM. This began with the scale up of the Sports Hall and the construction of two football pitches. The main pitch features an athletics track, while the second pitch was covered with turf in 2019. This process culminated in the redevelopment of the sports park in 2015, which was renamed the “Altenor Pereira” Sports Complex in honor of its patron. The process of establishing partnerships for the construction of more sports facilities at the Altenor Pereira Sports Complex continues, with more partners joining various projects.
Altenor Perreira was President of the AAM from 2012 to 2023, and passed away on November 14, 2023.