Tunisia have third chance to win FIBA AfroBasket at home, can't fail again, says Ben Romdhane

TUNIS (FIBA AfroBasket 2017) - Tunisia's ace Makram Ben Romdhane is adamant that they must compete tirelessly to win next month's FIBA AfroBasket at home.

It will be Tunisia's third attempt to win the African Championship on home soil.

A lot of fans came to support us and we want to make them happy. It was a bad memory for all of us and we want to win this year to make up for it." - Ben Romdhane

The 28-year-old power forward wasn't even born when Tunisia hosted and finished in the Fifth-Place at the 1987 edition of FIBA Africa's most important competition. 

However, he was a bright talent and still is, when his country organized the FIBA AfroBasket 2015.

At the time Tunisia outplayed eventual champions Nigeria in the Group Phase, but when it came to facing Angola - a team they had beaten four years earlier to claim their first-ever African title - in the Semi-Final, the Tunisians stumbled. 

It's that kind of inconsistency that the Tunisians aren't prepared to experience again when the sixteen-team tournament tips off in Dakar and in Tunis on September 8.
 
Ben Romdhane says it's about time to pay back for his countrymen and women who two years ago sold out the Salle Omnisport de Rades to cheer on them but were left disappointed.

Tunisian fans showed up in big numbers in support to their national team a FIBA AfroBasket 2015

"In 2015, we lacked experience at some moments, especially in the Semi-Final. The arena was packed, and we felt a lot of pressure so we lost that game," the 6ft9in (2.06m) forward admitted to FIBA.basketball.

"Now, the team has more experience and we aren’t going to make the same mistakes. Our coach always insists on not putting too much pressure on our shoulders and play in games the same way we do during practice.

"We have a lot of respect for every team that is going to compete in this tournament, but we don’t want to repeat the same mistakes. Playing at home has to be positive for us, with the support of the entire country.

"We had a great shot two years ago, even more after winning by a margin of 11 points against Nigeria [Tunisia led by as many as 22 points] in the group stage."

 
Ben Romdhane has led Tunisia in scoring over the last three editions of FIBA AfroBasket

Meanwhile, the number two team on the African continent have made a significant change compared to two years ago. And that could impact the way the team approaches each game.

The arrival of coach Mario Palma, a four-time AfroBasket winner at the helm of Angola, gives Tunisia hope.

"He is like our father, our friend, our mentor," Ben Romdhane noted. "He is a great coach and has a lot of experience that he is sharing with the team. He has been helping us a lot so far and he believes in our talent, so we give our best for him. He is the coach who has won the most title in Africa, which speaks for itself."

Tunisia finished in Third-Place at FIBA AfroBasket 2015

Asked about his dream of winning his second African Championship, Ben Romdhane replied: "Not only for the country but also for the people who cried after we lost in the Semi-Finals two years ago. A lot of fans came to support us and we wanted to make them happy. It was a bad memory for all of us and we want to win this year to make up for it.

"We don’t have the most talented roster in the tournament, but we are going to have one of the most solid teams as we play as a unit. We are also good on the defensive end, we play defense with a lot of energy. We can compete against the best teams on the continent that is for sure."

Tunisia are in Group C alongside Cameroon, Rwanda and Guinea.

FIBA