Meet the coaches at the 2025 AfroBasket Qualifiers

CAIRO/MONASTIR (Egypt/Tunisia) - Want to find out more about the men that will be calling plays on the sidelines of the first window of the 2025 AfroBasket? We’ve got you covered.

Anibal Moreira (ANGOLA)
DOB - September 17, 1966
Nationality - Angolan
Coaching career highlight: 2-time Women’s AfroBasket with Angola (2011 and 2013).
Former Angolan international player. 3-time Olympian (1992, 1996 and 2000); 3-time World Cup participant (1986, 1990 and 1994).

”I have never expected to become a basketball coach, but when I suffered a career-ending injury in 2001, my former coach at Primeiro de Agosto, Mr. Mario Palma encouraged me to become his assistant. At first, I declined, but after some time, I decided to accept the offer.”

Zeljko Zecevic (GUINEA)
DOB - October 21, 1963
Nationality - Serbian
Coaching career highlight: Guinea win the award for The Most Improved Team (2021-2023) during the 2023 FIBA Congress.

“Back in the days, in my native Belgrade, we had several senior coaches who had a natural ability to spot young players with a potential to become a coach.They usually took special attention to point guards, and that’s how I, at 24 years of age, was invited to try coaching while I was still a first division player. In 1990 I embraced professional basketball coaching. I first coached in Africa in 2008. At the time I was the head coach of Egypt men’s national team and I led the team at 2009 AfroBasket.”

Mehdy Mary (TUNISIA)
DOB - March 17, 1980
Nationality - French/Algerian
Coaching career highlight:

“I started my coaching career in 2006 after I retired from my playing career. I spent the first seven years of my coaching career in Switzerland (Benetton Fribourg) as an assistant coach and manger of youth programs. I was part of the French coaching staff at an U18 European Championship, U19 World Cup. I eventually coached Limoges senior team. I also the opportunity of coaching in EuroCUp and FIBA Champions League. Coach Mario Palma did a great job within the federation, and it now operates professionally. As a player I was selected to play for Algeria at 2005 AfroBAsket, but I didn’t make the final roster due to an injury.”

Cliff Owuor (KENYA)
DOB - March 17, 1973
Nationality - Kenyan
Coaching career highlight - Led Kenya to the second-place of the inaugural FIBA AfroCan in 2019 in Mali. 

“I have won the Kenyan Basketball League twice with Ulinzi Warriors. In addition to that, I have won the Rwandan Basketball League with APR Basketball five times, including the just concluded the 2023 season. The climax of my career was in 2019 when I led the Morans to win the Zone 5 national team Championship in Uganda when we beat Egypt by 18 points.”

Emanuel Trovoada (CAPE VERDE)
DOB - May 13, 1967
Nationality - Angolan
Coaching career highlight - Led Cape Verde to the third-place of the 2007 AfroBasket; Silver medalist at 2015 AfroBasket as Angola assistant coach; Led Cape Verde during the World Cup Qualifiers and 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, where the islanders recorded their first-ever win in the history of the tournament.

“I started contemplating a coaching career in the early 1990s. At the time, in Figueira da Foz (Portugal), former coach Jorge Araujo was looking for a candidate to coach the youth  team of Naval. As I didn’t have the means to become a top player, I embraced coaching as a way of dedicating my passion for the game of basketball. Being the only African-born head coach at the 2023 World Cup was a moment of great pride.”

Fouad Bou Chakra (LIBYA)
DOB -
Nationality - Lebanese
Coaching career highlight - 7-time champion Lebanon League with Rihad. Winner of the 2023 Libyan Cup with Itthiad.

“I have thought I would become a basketball coach. As a player, I was never the most disciplined one. A Greek coach called Matteo inspired me. He used the say that basketball is more than a game, it’s life inside life. Since then I started seeing basketball differently and it turned out that I had the tools for coaching.

“It was a temporary job, but thankfully we succeeded in the Pre-Qualifiers, and I am happy to be here in the AfroBasket Qualifiers. My players are ready to fight, and we are going to make it to the AfroBasket, no question about it. We are ready to continue to surprise African basketball.” 

Mandy Juruni (UGANDA)
DOB - November 11, 1982
Nationality - Ugandan
Coaching career highlight - Uganda League champions with City Oilers (2012 to 2020; 2022 and 2023; Head coach of Uganda AfroBasket 2015 and 2017; Uganda Women’s League champion. 

“ I was inspired to coach by my former coaches when I was still young. When my coaches could not make it for training, they would delegate that responsibility to take on training. They used to say that one day I would become a great coach. When i went to the US for a coaching course my first time, my coaches there encouraged me to keep improving. Ever since I took it seriously just making sure I learned a lot from different sources.”

Henrik Rödl (EGYPT)
DOB - March, 4, 1969
Nationality - German
Coaching career  highlight: Making it to the Tokyo Olympics with the Germany team.

Why coaching: "I love basketball and coaching young players. It is my passion. I have been in the craft since I was 35."

Lautie Sylvain (Central Africa Republic)
DOB - June, 11, 1968
Nationality - French
Club - SLUC Nancy Basket
Coaching career  highlight: Winning the European Cup in 2002 with SLUC Nancy

Why coaching: "I was not a very good player so I got into coaching early. I started in French lower divisions at the age of 20 and made my professional coaching debut at 26. I love the job, especially working with young players as they keep one young. I have enjoyed coaching in Africa as it is very interesting and different from the French leagues."

 Alphonse Ravonimbola Jeannot (MADAGASCAR)
DOB - August, 2, 1955
Nationality - Malagasy
Club: ASCUT ( Association Sportive de la Commune Urbaine de Tamatave) 

Douaglin John (COTE D’IVOIRE)
DOB - June, 10, 1970
Nationality - French
Career highlight: Champion in third Division in France, and champion in Pro B in the same country.

Why coaching: "I started with football but later switched to basketball, having been influenced by my parents. I love coaching and my experience coaching basketball in Africa has been good."

 FIBA