MOZ - Mozambique "knocking at Spain's door"

ABIDJAN (AfroBasket/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Mozambique's men’s national team has never played at a FIBA World Championship, but this does not stop them from dreaming.

And to prove that their team can do better, Sivio Letela says they are ready to compete like any other of the 16 AfroBasket teams.

"We are here in Abidjan knocking at the FIBA Basketball World Cup's door. If they let us in, surely there will be no more doubts about our team," he explained to FIBA.com.

However, when the discussion on how far Mozambique's basketball programme can go, probably the women's national team comes atop because of their two silver medals in AfroBasket competition, unlike their men counterpart's modest record.

It is partially true, says Letela, who has not missed an AfroBasket competition since 2005.

"Of course the women's team has made better results, but we have been working to become a better team. All we need is more funding for our men’s basketball programmes," he said.

The 1.90m guard played a crucial role in Mozambique's historic 70-66 win over the Central African Republic (CAF) on the opening day of AfroBasket 2013 thanks to his three three-pointers.

The win over CAF boosted the team's morale, Letela said.

"We will face each game one at a time, but we definitely want to improve our AfroBasket record," he warned.

Mozambique's best result in AfroBasket competition was a fifth-place finish three decades ago, and things have not progressed much since.

The dream of improving their record means they will have to beat the odds in Group C clashes against Angola and Cape Verde.

"We are the outsiders in our group, but don't write us off just yet," Letela warned.

But, how realistic are Mozambique's chances to progress in Abidjan?

"We will keep making the most of our perimeter game as we are not a tall team," said the 30-year-old who plays for Maxaquene de Maputo.

For full and in-depth coverage of AfroBasket 2013, go to the official website http://abidjan2013.fibaafrica.com/.

FIBA