28 July 2007
MALI : Mali coach puts faith in youth
Mali coach Francis Charneux has called up teenagers Waly Coulibaly and Amadou Kaba to his squad for AfroBasket 2007 in Angola.
Nineteen-year-old Coulibaly impressed at the recent FIBA U19 World Championship in Serbia, finishing as the tournament's fourth-top scorer with an average of 19.6 points per game, including 19 against the hosts and world champions.
Forward Kaba, who is only 16, also impressed at the tournament, pouring in 16 points in the final game against Puerto Rico, and ending with an average of nine points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
Charneux said: "They are players that I will want to take to Angola.
"I have been observing them for a while and they are the future of Malian basketball."
Mali recently lost 74-60 to Angola in the semi-finals of the All Africa Game, but Charneux is still confident about their chances at the forthcoming tournament,
where they will contest Group B with Senegal, Egypt and Ivory Coast.
He said: "That was a good signal from the players.
"Our position in the tournament was the best position we could reach, but we want more in AfroBasket.
"To finish in the last four teams (semi-final) is our goal. It is the most difficult group, but I know the Egyptian game and we have already beaten Ivory Coast in the All Africa Games.
"Then there is Senegal - they are difficult, but not impossible to beat.
"We want to finish top of the group."
The team are currently enjoying some time off, but will reconvene on August 1.
By Fiba.com
Nineteen-year-old Coulibaly impressed at the recent FIBA U19 World Championship in Serbia, finishing as the tournament's fourth-top scorer with an average of 19.6 points per game, including 19 against the hosts and world champions.
Forward Kaba, who is only 16, also impressed at the tournament, pouring in 16 points in the final game against Puerto Rico, and ending with an average of nine points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
Charneux said: "They are players that I will want to take to Angola.
"I have been observing them for a while and they are the future of Malian basketball."
Mali recently lost 74-60 to Angola in the semi-finals of the All Africa Game, but Charneux is still confident about their chances at the forthcoming tournament,
where they will contest Group B with Senegal, Egypt and Ivory Coast.
He said: "That was a good signal from the players.
"Our position in the tournament was the best position we could reach, but we want more in AfroBasket.
"To finish in the last four teams (semi-final) is our goal. It is the most difficult group, but I know the Egyptian game and we have already beaten Ivory Coast in the All Africa Games.
"Then there is Senegal - they are difficult, but not impossible to beat.
"We want to finish top of the group."
The team are currently enjoying some time off, but will reconvene on August 1.
By Fiba.com
# posted by afrbk : 17:52
