Ibrahim El Gammal (EGY) - Egypt vs Iran, 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, Granada (Spain), Day 5, Group phase
TUNIS (AfroBasket 2015) - AfroBasket 2015 is just around the corner so here is a look at the four teams making up Group C and their chances in the tournament, which runs from 19-30 August in Rades, Tunisia.
Gabon is the biggest mystery in the group given the fact that the team will be appearing in its first AfroBasket since 2005. They have Stephane Lasme, a household name in EuroLeague basketball, on their roster and selected a few veterans such as Jason Reteno but haven't publicly announced their goals in the tournament.
TUNIS (AfroBasket 2015) - AfroBasket 2015 is just around the corner so here is a look at the four teams making up Group C and their chances in the tournament, which runs from 19-30 August in Rades, Tunisia.
Gabon is the biggest mystery in the group given the fact that the team will be appearing in its first AfroBasket since 2005. They have Stephane Lasme, a household name in EuroLeague basketball, on their roster and selected a few veterans such as Jason Reteno but haven't publicly announced their goals in the tournament.
Although Lasme once described his team as underdogs, only time will tell more about this Gabon team.
But it won't take us long to find out more about the Gabonese team as they will face Egypt in the very first game of tournament on 19 August.
In their second game, Gabon will meet Mali, a team they last faced and defeated in 2005, before closing their Group Phase campaign against Cameroon.
Egypt and Cameroon appear to be the strongest contenders in the group, but will need to overcome a combative Mali team which is trying to rebuild and create a new identity under head coach Sylvain Lautier.
Tunisia 2015 is not only a chance for the Malians to bounce back from a poor AfroBasket 2013 showing, but also an opportunity for a rematch against Cameroon.
Even though Egypt is a team in rebuilding mode, and new head coach Ahmed Marei has ruled them out for the title race, the likes of his son Assem Marei along with Ibrahim El Gammal and Omar Oraby - who make up the core of the team - seem capable of competing against anyone in the tournament.
And to make things a lot more encouraging for the 'Pharaohs', they have climbed five places in the FIBA Men Ranking after two campaigns.
Egypt's astonishing second-place at AfroBasket 2013, followed by a modest but encouraging appearance in last year's FIBA Basketball World Cup indicate they should not be overlooked.
Then, there is Cameroon.
The Central African team aim at repeating or improving their second-place finish accomplished at AfroBasket 2007, but for inexplicable reasons they have struggled to hold on their opponents.
They will be missing some key players in Tunisia, but the additions of Parfait Bitee and Kenny Kadji should give them a lot more energy.
It becomes almost impossible to pick one or two teams for the group title, after all, this is clearly the most evened group in the tournament.
The team that finishes on the top step of the podium of the tournament will automatic qualify for the 2016 Olympics, while the 2nd, 3rd and 4th place teams will compete in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQTs).
The competition will be played in a round robin format, with every team taking on its three opponents in its respective group.
But it won't take us long to find out more about the Gabonese team as they will face Egypt in the very first game of tournament on 19 August.
In their second game, Gabon will meet Mali, a team they last faced and defeated in 2005, before closing their Group Phase campaign against Cameroon.
Egypt and Cameroon appear to be the strongest contenders in the group, but will need to overcome a combative Mali team which is trying to rebuild and create a new identity under head coach Sylvain Lautier.
Tunisia 2015 is not only a chance for the Malians to bounce back from a poor AfroBasket 2013 showing, but also an opportunity for a rematch against Cameroon.
Even though Egypt is a team in rebuilding mode, and new head coach Ahmed Marei has ruled them out for the title race, the likes of his son Assem Marei along with Ibrahim El Gammal and Omar Oraby - who make up the core of the team - seem capable of competing against anyone in the tournament.
And to make things a lot more encouraging for the 'Pharaohs', they have climbed five places in the FIBA Men Ranking after two campaigns.
Egypt's astonishing second-place at AfroBasket 2013, followed by a modest but encouraging appearance in last year's FIBA Basketball World Cup indicate they should not be overlooked.
Then, there is Cameroon.
The Central African team aim at repeating or improving their second-place finish accomplished at AfroBasket 2007, but for inexplicable reasons they have struggled to hold on their opponents.
They will be missing some key players in Tunisia, but the additions of Parfait Bitee and Kenny Kadji should give them a lot more energy.
It becomes almost impossible to pick one or two teams for the group title, after all, this is clearly the most evened group in the tournament.
The team that finishes on the top step of the podium of the tournament will automatic qualify for the 2016 Olympics, while the 2nd, 3rd and 4th place teams will compete in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQTs).
The competition will be played in a round robin format, with every team taking on its three opponents in its respective group.
By: FIBA.com
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