Egypt look to end Mali dominance at FIBA U18 Women's African Championship

CAIRO (FIBA U18 Women's African Championship 2018) - Tired of being in Mali's shadow, Egypt are desperate to overcome their biggest nemesis in women's youth basketball when the FIBA U18 Women's African Championship tips off in Maputo, Mozambique from August 10 -19. 

The North Africans still remember vividly losing the 2016 Final in front of their home fans and the current team wants to avenge that loss and go on to be champions, and in the process qualify for the FIBA Basketball U19 Women's World Cup 2019.

The torture of losing to Mali originates from the U16 category where Mali have completely dominated this stage winning all the five editions.

However, Egypt captain Jana Haytham is confident that her side has the ability to overturn this situation and take her country to the top.

"MALI IS ALWAYS A TOUGH RIVAL AND ONE OF THE BEST AFRICAN SIDES IN THE JUNIOR COMPETITIONS. WE ALWAYS COMPETE FOR CHAMPIONSHIPS AGAINST ONE ANOTHER AND IT HAS BECOME A FUN MATCH-UP THAT EGYPTIAN PLAYERS LOOK FORWARD TO."                                                                              - Haytham

"We need to take it one game at a time and focus on playing to our strengths and our best game as well as execute our coach's plan. If we succeed in that, we should position ourselves for great results representing Egypt with a goal of qualifying for the World Championships as African champions."

"We are playing to win first place. We know it is a hard competition but we are working to make it happen through hard work and dedication. We have many closed camps and training thrice a day. We have been working really hard this period trying to get everything done to be 100% ready for the championship."

Egypt will also face a tough challenge from hosts Mozambique who will have the home crowd behind them but more importantly the experience they have been gathering in recent years and they have a point to prove. 

For Haytham, succeeding at this level is everything because it is continuity for what her predecessors have achieved to make a good name for Egyptian women's basketball and just like her role model Mai Helwa, she wants to do her best. 

"Helwa is too confident about her game and she can carry a team to win a championship with her wonderful experience and she has an unstoppable medium shot. She is also a great team leader."

"Growing up in a successful generation of Egyptian girls basketball, every young basketball girl's dream is to play and represent Egypt and Africa in another World Cup."

Egypt clinched second place at FIBA Women's U18 African Championship 2016 in Cairo, Egypt

Haytham believes that team work will play an important role in their quest for greatness next month and indeed it will take everyone on their team to dig deep. 

"We are fundamentally sound. We can score at all positions 1-5 and know that we have to play well as a unit to win games starting with how we defend the balls and turning that defence into offence."

To date, Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, reigning champions Mali, Rwanda and Tunisia are the six teams that have already secured their slots for the continental tournament. 

FIBA