Coach Ade confident CNSS will come back better 

ALEXANDRIA (Egypt) - Despite picking one single win in the Ninth-Place Classification match at the inaugural Africa Women's Basketball League (AWBL), CNSS exited with a bag full of lessons.

 The Congo DR side played for a 70-46 victory against Benin's ASPAc in their final match of the 10-team competition. 

Head coach Koko Ade, who admits that the level of competition has gone up in the rebranded championship, says his charges will come back stronger thanks to the valuable lessons they have picked in Alexandria.

"This team is owned by a private company that has put in a lot of resources to get us here but more resources are required to help our teams get better," he said.

"Looking at how teams have recruited players ahead of this competition, bringing in WNBA and Euroleague talents, it is evident that such investments have paid off. 

"This does not only improve the team but the competitiveness in the local leagues. We need to have that to help elevate the levels of basketball in DR Congo," coach Ade who has coached his side at the continental level for six editions opined.

CNSS managed to reach the quarters in last year's competition, the Africa Women's Champions Cup but Ade says they changed the composition of the team ahead of the inaugural AWBL. 

" We included young players as part of our rebuilding process. I believe that playing at this level with such a young team has been more beneficial as they get to gain experience. We have lost some matches, 66-57 to Customs and 68-65 to Université de Douala (UDLA), due to inexperience but we gained more as my players learned hence my confidence we would come back stronger," the tactician added. 

Coach Ade, whose charges lost their opening match 98-41 to Alexandria Sporting Club says his charges got better with each match as they managed an 82-46 win against Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) before falling to Customs and UDLA, and eventually picking their only win. 

"It was a good trend, and we will build on it when we return to the country and we certainly will come back a better side," he concluded.

FIBA