Afro-Basketball U-18 Kagame Cup
Today
Mozambique vs Nigeria 11am
Congo vs Mali 1pm
Egypt vs Gabon 3pm
Rwanda vs Algeria 6.30pm
Ivory Coast vs Angola 8.30pm
AFTER weeks of hard work, the national U-18 team – ‘the junior hoops’ start their 2010 Afrobasket U-18 Kagame Cup quest against Algeria this evening at Amahoro stadium.
Coach Nelson Paris told Times Sport that final touches had been made in the team and that the players were ready for the action.
“We have prepared well over the past few weeks and the boys are just waiting to get on with the business,” the American tactician said.
While Paris was a little hesitant to comment about the draw, he said that it could have been a lot worse.
“It is not a very easy group but at the same time, it could have been worse so let’s just wait and see how it goes.”
Rwanda is drawn in Group A alongside Mali, five-time champions Nigeria, Algeria, Mozambique and Congo Brazzaville while Group B pits reigning champions Egypt with 1988 champions Angola, Tunisia, Ivory Coast and first timers Zimbabwe.
Five time champions Nigeria will open the action against Mozambique followed by a 1pm tie between Congo Brazzaville’s Red Devils and Mali.
Egypt will then entertain Gabon while Angola will close the day’s action with a tricky test against Ivory Coast which boasts of three France-based players in Arnaud Gnaboua, Edward Meledge and Cyril Sekpade.
While today and tomorrow’s games will be entirely staged at Amahoro Indoor stadium, the other games will be jointly held at Amahoro and Green hills academy.
At the end of the nine-day competition, the top two teams will qualify for the 2011 Fiba World Junior Championship in Latvia.