Nigeria starts as the favorite to revalidate the title in the Afrobasket that starts in Tunisia and Senegal, and in which the second point of interest will be to see the evolution of ten NBA-tagged players.
The tournament, which this edition is jointly organized by both countries, brings together 16 teams but only a small handful seem likely to overshadow the many revalidation options for the current champions: Angola, a finalist in 2015; Egypt and the two host countries.
The Nigerians present themselves with a renewed, young and ambitious squad, with two African stars in the trigger: their captain, Ike Diogu, and the powerful 2.11 center of the Washington Wizards, Daniel Ochefu.
“Nigeria may not have the skeleton of players that led them to lift the title in 2015, but I can guarantee that they present a team of players who are going to give it their all,” Diogu explained to the local press.
“We do not undervalue any team, but as champions we know that everyone is going to try to beat us. We have come to Tunisia to do our job, and that is to defend the title, “added the former Golden State Warriors, for whom the final result” depends on ourselves. “
Coach Alex Nwora spoke in the same vein, for whom the injuries and absences of some habitual men are not an excuse.
“Some of the players who were at AfroBasket in 2015 have new contracts and others have been injured. But as a coach, I am here to do my job and make sure Nigeria does well in this tournament, “he said.
Tunisia, for its part, relies on its two best men, former UCAM Murcia Makram Ben Romdhane and Mourad El Mabrouk, to take a step forward and achieve what would be their second title, after the one achieved in 2011 in full fervor for the now suffocated “Arab springs.”
For this, he also has the fact of playing part of the tournament at home and the experience that achieved third place in the last edition, also held in Tunisian lands, and with the only handicap of the absence of the former Real Madrid player. and NBA, Salah Mejri.
Senegal, for its part, also relies on the field factor and the talent of Gorgui Dieng, the powerful 2.11 pivot of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who comes to this edition with more experience and a certain spirit of revenge.
Dieng led his team to the semifinals of last edition but was left with honey on his lips after two weak matches under his belt: neither in the semifinals against Nigeria nor in the match for third and fourth place with Tunisia did he take the step that expected for a dominant player.
Along with him, much is expected in this tournament from his teammate Maurice Ndour, the New York Knicks forward with an excellent mid-range shot.
Angola, the other favorite, is a team that is curdled, electric and with a lot of power that is only waiting for the benefits that its stars can give, in particular Carlos Morais, a man who has six continental tournaments behind him.
With four African titles in his window, the Benfica guard, once claimed by the Toronto Raptors, is still the inspiration for one of the continent’s most successful teams this century.
Other players to watch will be the American-Moroccan rookie John Wilkins, trained at the University of Illinois, the very young 19-year-old Malian Sekou Dembele, a pivot in the NBA orbit, the Guinean forward Cedric Mansare, and the Congolese-Canadian Myck Kabongo, a point guard trained at the University of Texas. EFE