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Basketball: Six teams to watch at Afrobasket 2021 | The New Times

The Afrobasket event that is set to acquire place in Kigali from August 24 to September 5 is unquestionably possessing quite a few basketball fans in Africa thrilled, as they glance forward to observing top nationwide teams from across the continent rub shoulders.

16 groups will be competing, and in this posting, Times Sport normally takes a appear at the top 6 sides that are contenders for the continental trophy.

 

Nigeria

 

There is little question that Nigeria is one particular of the powerhouses of African basketball.  Famously known as D’Tigers, the staff is envisioned to be a pressure to reckon with in the forthcoming Afrobasket event.

 

The staff has a variety of higher profile players who characteristic in sturdy leagues in several nations, which include in the United States’ best-tier – the NBA.

Names like Gabriel Nnamdi Vincent who options for Miami Heat, Joshua Aloiye Okogie of Minnesota Timberwolves, Al-Farouq Ajiede Aminu of San Antonio Spurs, are among the gamers that may perhaps be provided on a formidable roaster that the Nigerians may perhaps present in the Afrobasket tournament.

The staff is fresh new from participating in the Olympics Online games in Tokyo, Japan wherever they remaining with out profitable a match, but yet, they did not play badly, taking into consideration the simple fact that they ended up competing from the world’s top rated teams.

In addition, D’Tigers pulled off exploits in July when they defeat the United states in a pleasant recreation, and later on on defeated Argentina.

Nigeria also has an skilled Coach in Mike Brown, who has worked with groups like Golden Condition Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers.

In the Afrobasket, Nigeria ended up positioned in Team C along with Ivory Coast, Mali and Kenya.

Senegal

A different West African workforce to be weary of at the Afrobasket.

Senegal will be vying to consider property its sixth Afrobasket title when the 30th version of the event gets under way in Kigali.

Achieving the knock-out phases of the Afrobasket has form of grow to be a norm for them, and they have also taken aspect in the FIBA Earth Cup ahead of.

They also have a number of top players like Tacko Sereigne Diop Drop who has featured for NBA teams like Boston Celtics and Maine Celtics of the NBA G League, Gorgui Sy Dieng who performs for the Atlanta Hawks, amid other people.

This 12 months, the Senegalese staff extra to their ranks, American-born Pierria Henry who was presented citizenship in June. He is an expert player who skillfully plied his trade in Georgia, Germany, Israel, Turkey and Russia.

Angola

Angola are eleven-time African champions. They have also been current at the FIBA Planet Cup severally, owning manufactured their FIBA Basketball Globe Cup debut in 1986 in Spain.

Angola have missed only a person (1998) of the very last 8 editions of the tournament.

They have seasoned players like Carlos Edilson Alcântara, 35, a shooting guard who performs for Petro Atletico and has represented Angola at FIBA Africa Championship in 2005, the FIBA Globe Championship in 2006, FIBA Africa Championship 2007 and the 2008 Summer season Olympics.

Morais was named the MVP of AfroBasket 2013.

Additional gamers incorporate Jone Pedro, an Angolan-Portuguese-German participant who also attributes for Petro de Luanda, Valdelício Macanga Maia Joaquim, a centre who performs for Obras Sanitarias in Argentina.

Angola’s earlier achievements on the continent may possibly give them self confidence and pedigree coming into this edition of the Afrobasket, and they could be a crew to watch.

Tunisia

The North African nation has produced 22 appearances at the FIBA Africa Championship.

They will appear into this Afrobasket opposition as the defending champions, possessing gained the preceding edition.

They were drawn in Team B along with Guinea, Central African Republic and Egypt.

Rwandans perhaps had a style of the prowess of Tunisian basketball all through the Basketball Africa League (BAL) that took location in Kigali in May, as US Monastir, a Tunisian club went all the way to the last game of the match.

Gamers like Makrem Ben Romdhane produced a statement through the BAL and need to not be taken for granted in the impending Afrobasket, in addition to other folks like Salah Mejri, a player that has previously highlighted for teams like the NBA’s Mavericks is also an expert ace to view out for if he will be included in their roaster for the Afrobasket.

As the former defending winner, it is expected that numerous of the gamers that gained the title past time will return for this edition, and this arguably spots Tunisia among the the leading contenders for this trophy.

Egypt

A further North African Powerhouse, Egypt was positioned in Group B together with Central Africa Republic, Tunisia and Guinea for the event.

They are capable of presenting a talented, identified and highly-competitive roster to the Afrobasket, because they have terrific players in their local league and overseas.

Anas Mahmoud, a wonderful defensive talent that was voted ideal defender in the BAL in Rwanda and joined Toronto Raptors is a single of the players that potentially Rwandan enthusiasts know anything about.

In addition, they have overseas-based mostly players like Abdel Nader who options for the Phoenix Suns in the NBA.

Rwanda

Rwanda will certainly be underdogs heading into the tournament, but they will be taking part in on home turf and this really should most likely improve them.

Cheikh Sarr, the Senegalese tactician at the helm of the team not long ago explained that acknowledging the “underdog” label will be an asset for his staff as they go into the opposition.

Rwanda was placed in Group A along with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Angola, and Cape Verde.

Rwanda will be making its six consecutive appearance at Afrobasket as the 2021 version of the game titles, since 2007.

Veteran capturing guard Kenneth Gasana is a important participant for Rwanda, but some new players like England-dependent Prince Chinenye Ibeh, Netherland-primarily based William Robeyns can also consider to the huge stage to make some surprises.

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