Algeria to face Mali and Egypt ahead of AfroBasket Women 2015

ALGIERS (AfroBasket Women 2015) - Algeria are determined to cover the absence of influential Rachida Belaidi by building a competitive roster ahead of AfroBasket Women 2015.

Point guard Belaidi, who averaged a team-high 2.4 assists to go with 6.4 points per game at AfroBasket Women 2013 won't be playing for her country in Yaounde, Cameroon (24 September to 3 October) due to injury.

Competing against tough African opposition can help the North Africans in the Algerians' process to build their team and that is exactly what they're setting out to do.

Algeria will take on Mali and Egypt in a three-team tournament in Algiers from 30 July-4 August, and are also expected to face Gabon at a later stage.

Talking to local news agency Algeria Press Service, Yacine Belal, the team's assistant coach, said: "The tournament will allow us to evaluate the level of our team before attending the All Africa Games and the AfroBasket which remains our main objective."

Algeria opened their training camp on 25 July and are expected to resume their preparations next month in Serbia.

They might use the same group of players that beat Morocco in the two-team FIBA Africa Zone 1 qualifier a couple of months ago.

Having been drawn in Group B at AfroBasket Women 2015, Algeria will face defending champions Angola, Senegal, Guinea, Nigeria and a team to be determined through a wild card process.

It is not clear, whether or not 35-year-old Belaidi will return to the national team at some point, but in her absence Soumeya Regani and Nesrine Taibi are expected to serve as the leaders.

FIBA