Sarr hopeful to replicate success with Senegal women's team

ABIDJAN (FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018) - Four years ago, Cheick Sarr-coached Senegal caused one of the biggest upsets at FIBA Basketball World Cup.

At the time, the Senegalese not only defeated European heavyweight Croatia in the Group Phase but they also reached the Second-Round of the competition for the first time ever.

Now, Sarr hopes to lead his country to new heights at the upcoming FIBA Basketball Women's World Cup to be held in Tenerife, Spain. 

And although the No.1 team in Africa - according to FIBA World Ranking presented by Nike - are set to face higher-ranked teams in the form of the USA, China and Latvia in Group D, Sarr insists he will make sure to share his motivation with his players. 

Speaking to FIBA.basketball, Sarr, who recently replaced Moustapha Gaye at the helm of his country's women's national team, said: "Our goal is to qualify for the Second-Round, and we are going to work to beat some of those teams," 

"Against the USA, we are going to try and focus on our performance rather than thinking about the result. They are another dimension."

Nevertheless, Sarr noted: "Looking into our recent matchup against those teams, it’s fair to say that we have closed the competitiveness and quality gap against China and Latvia."

Senegal faced the World and Olympic champions USA as well as China at Rio Olympics Games 2016.

Despite their two losses, the play-caller remains upbeat about their chances.

"We are going to re-watch those games, and put a game plan that can help us succeed. Our mindset is different. We are not going to the World Cup to make numbers, we are going there to win," he said.

Prolific scorer Astou Traore, Maimouna Diarra - who made her WNBA debut last season with the Los Angeles Sparks - and rising star Yacine Diop remain under Sarr's radar for a tournament that the Senegalese are treating as a game-changer opportunity. 

"I don’t feel any sort of pressure at all. The World Cup is one of the highest competitions, and I look forward to facing those big teams such as the USA, China, and Latvia," Sarr explained.

"We currently have a number of players in Europe, and we are trying to bring them in order to build a competitive team."

Sarr has planned a four-phase preparation, which will include training camps with locally-based players, before their senior players join on August 14.

FIBA