AFROBASKET - Diane, Ivory Coast make early statement in romp

ANTANANARIVO (Afrobasket) - Ivory Coast captured a silver medal two years ago at the Afrobasket and booked a place at the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

Judging from their opening day romp against South Africa, they have every chance of reaching the podium again and possibly capturing gold to reach the London Olympics.

Guy Edi led the Ivoirians with 19 points and four assists as they destroyed the South Africans, 105-53, in Madagascar.

Though robbed of the home-court advantage they had expected to enjoy because of a political crisis that forced the Afrobasket to be moved, Ivory Coast brushed aside their first opponents after taking a 60-18 stranglehold on the game by half-time.

The ambition and will to succeed is there according to Mamade Diane, who had 17 points for Ivory Coast.

"All we want is to be top in our group and keep moving all the way," Diane said to FIBA.com immediately after the game.

Despite the margin of victory, Diane felt his team had much to improve on.

"This game today (Wednesday) showed that we need to elevate the level of our game.

"We had a good game, but we just need to be more efficient."

Asked if the victory had given his team serenity for future encounters, Diane said: "We are thinking just one game at a time.

"Personally I did all right, given that I just joined the team a couple of days ago."

While the winner of the Afrobasket qualifies directly to the London Games, the sides that come in second and third will be invited to the 12-team FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Reaching the Olympics is something that Diane and his teammates have been dreaming about all along.

Last year at the FIBA World Championship in Turkey, the Ivorians nearly progressed to the Eight-Finals but were denied despite winning a crucial last game against Puerto Rico.

A David Huertas three-pointer at the death for Puerto Rico caused Ivory Coast to drop below China on goal differential and the Asian giants instead advanced.

Ivory Coast want to banish that painful memory, and to reach London would certainly do that.

"If we make it to the Olympics, it would an honor," Diane said.

"This is the aim of any sportsman.

"None of us have had the opportunity to appear in such a sports event."

While two years ago they finished runner-up to Angola, Diane says this summer could be different.

"We are very determined to finish top of this championship," he said.

In the second game of the day, Nigeria excelled with the experience of NBA guard Ime Udoka (10 points, four rebounds) and manhandled Mali, 84-59.

Nigeria's Derrick Obasohan led the winners in scoring with 15 points.

At the eagerly-awaited game for home fans, Madagascar dug themselves any early hole and lost to Mozambique, 77-67.

Back to at the helm of his native Cameroon after missing Afrobasket 2009, coach Lazare Adingono led his country to a 96-81 victory over Egypt.

Cameroon do not have the NBA star Luc Mbah a Moute of the Milwaukee Bucks this summer but Parfait Bitee is in the squad and he poured in the most points of any player on opening day with 29.

On Tuesday, four more games will be played in Antananarivo.

Defending champions Angola will take on Chad and Morocco go up against Senegal in Day 1 of Group B.

In Group D, Tunisia square off against Togo and Central African Republic meet Rwanda.

FIBA