Cote d'Ivoire v Angola, Day 10 of the 2013 FIBA Africa Championship in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, 30 August, Semi-Finals
ABIDJAN (AfroBasket 2015) - In the lead-up to AfroBasket 2015, we take a closer look at all 16 participating teams competing in the championship running from 19-30 August.
Team: Cote d'Ivoire
FIBA Ranking Men: 37th
Last participation in the AfroBasket: 2013 (5 wins, 2 losses; 4th place)
Best result in the history of AfroBasket: Winner in 1981 and 1985
Qualification for AfroBasket 2015 - Two wins over Benin in the FIBA Africa Zone II Qualifier Group D.
ABIDJAN (AfroBasket 2015) - In the lead-up to AfroBasket 2015, we take a closer look at all 16 participating teams competing in the championship running from 19-30 August.
Team: Cote d'Ivoire
FIBA Ranking Men: 37th
Last participation in the AfroBasket: 2013 (5 wins, 2 losses; 4th place)
Best result in the history of AfroBasket: Winner in 1981 and 1985
Qualification for AfroBasket 2015 - Two wins over Benin in the FIBA Africa Zone II Qualifier Group D.
History/Qualification: Cote d'Ivoire, the fifth highest ranked African nation in the FIBA World Ranking, has reached three consecutive AfroBasket Semi-Finals (2009, 2011 and 2013) and become one of the regular contenders to win the continental title.
Two years ago, they started the tournament with the target of winning a third continental title - following the ones won in 1981 and 1985 - but they fell short of reaching the podium after a heartbreaking 57-56 loss to Senegal in the Third-Place Game.
Their dream of taking part in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup vanished.
Cote d'Ivoire secured their qualification for this year's tournament following their two wins against Benin in the FIBA Africa Zone III qualifier held in Cotonou last February.
They will open their AfroBasket campaign in Group D against Cape Verde before taking on debutants Zimbabwe and Algeria.
Key Player: Souleyman Diabate will be the leader of this team as a number of key players have refused to take part in this summer's event.
The 1.80m point guard who will be making his fifth appearance in Africa's flagship event played a pivotal role in 2013 and was named to the All-Star Five on home soil. For this year's event, Diabate has Olympic dreams for his country.
Rising Star: Cote d'Ivoire could rely on their young talented rising players such as Jean Yves Zahoui and Hima Seydou.
Outlook: Due to administrative problems, Cote d'Ivoire have lost many of their key players. The team which is in rebuilding mode will look to put together its best performance possible.
In just six words: Struggle for honourable appearance.
Two years ago, they started the tournament with the target of winning a third continental title - following the ones won in 1981 and 1985 - but they fell short of reaching the podium after a heartbreaking 57-56 loss to Senegal in the Third-Place Game.
Their dream of taking part in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup vanished.
Cote d'Ivoire secured their qualification for this year's tournament following their two wins against Benin in the FIBA Africa Zone III qualifier held in Cotonou last February.
They will open their AfroBasket campaign in Group D against Cape Verde before taking on debutants Zimbabwe and Algeria.
Key Player: Souleyman Diabate will be the leader of this team as a number of key players have refused to take part in this summer's event.
The 1.80m point guard who will be making his fifth appearance in Africa's flagship event played a pivotal role in 2013 and was named to the All-Star Five on home soil. For this year's event, Diabate has Olympic dreams for his country.
Rising Star: Cote d'Ivoire could rely on their young talented rising players such as Jean Yves Zahoui and Hima Seydou.
Outlook: Due to administrative problems, Cote d'Ivoire have lost many of their key players. The team which is in rebuilding mode will look to put together its best performance possible.
In just six words: Struggle for honourable appearance.
By: FIBA.com
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