Akhmat Football Club (Grozny) has signed a contract with 22-year-old defensive midfielder Manuel Keliano from the Angola national team and Portugal's Estrela da Amadora. The agreement is set for four years, as reported by the press service of the Grozny club.

"Manuel Keliano is now a player for Akhmat Football Club. The Grozny club has signed a four-year contract," the statement reads.

Keliano has played 16 matches for the Angola national team, scoring 2 goals. Since joining Estrela da Amadora in 2023, the midfielder participated in 39 matches last season and recorded one assist.

Akhmat finished last season in the Russian Premier League (RPL) in 14th place, maintaining their position in the top division by defeating Ural Yekaterinburg in the playoffs.

In June, at the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the Secretary General of the Russian Football Union, Maxim Mitrofanov, informed the African Initiative that the RFU continues active engagement with African countries and considers the continent's national teams as priority opponents for friendly matches.

Buinta Bembeeva