Afrobasket 2021: Cheikh Sarr says Rwanda ready for any challenge

Cheikh Sarr, the national basketball head coach has pointed out Angola and DRC as the teams that will pose the biggest challenge to the national side in the Afrobasket competition slated for August in Kigali. In a recent draw made by FIBA - Africa, Rwanda, the host nation was placed in Group A alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Angola, another team that will finish 3rd in Group E of the qualifiers (either Morocco, Cape Verde or Uganda). Speaking to Times Sport, the seasoned Senegalese tactician said he has knowledge of Rwanda’s opponents in the group, having previously been acquainted with them in the Afrobasket competition. “They have a style we can determine, though some changes appear yearly due to renewal of coaches,” he said but added that there is no team to be afraid of and that they expect to face the best on the continent. Specifically speaking about Angola and the DRC, Sarr said they are very competitive teams that have built a strong reputation during the last 10 years. As far as preparations for the tournament are concerned, he said, among other things there should be a scouting process to continue identifying the players that will feature for the national team. “We should have good preparations to build a strong team and get all the country involved. Preparation must include high level conditioning along with friendly games to build chemistry (of the team),” he said. He said that the Basketball Africa League which ended last week in Kigali helped him to not only look at Rwandan players, but also players from other countries who will potentially come up as Rwanda’s opponents in Afrobasket. “The BAL gave me a better look at the Rwandan players as well as the other teams. Many clubs brought their best local or pro players that play in the national teams,” he said. The top five teams from the Afrobasket competition will book a ticket to represent Africa in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Japan, Philippines and Indonesia in 2023.

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Afrobasket 2021: Cheikh Sarr says Rwanda ready for any challenge