AfroBasket Women 2015 - Team Profile: South Africa

JOHANNESBURG (AfroBasket Women 2015) - In the lead-up to AfroBasket Women 2015, we take a closer look at all 12 participating teams competing in the championship running from 24 September-3 October in Yaounde, Cameroon.

Team: South Africa
FIBA Ranking Women: 70th
Last participation at AfroBasket Women: 2009 (2 wins, 5 defeats; 11th place)
Best result in the history of AfroBasket Women: 11th in the 12-team 2009 AfroBasket Women.
Qualified for AfroBasket Women 2015: Winners of FIBA Africa Zone 6 Group I qualifier.

History/Qualification: After two consecutive failed attempts (2011 and 2013) to qualify for Africa's elite tournament, South Africa are back among the continent's 12 best teams and have been drawn in Group A along with hosts Cameroon, Mozambique, Mali, Gabon and Uganda for the tournament taking place in Yaounde, Cameroon from 24 September-3 October.

In the past, South Africa struggled to beat more than two teams in a single competition, but they never finished bottom of a tournament.

In their last AfroBasket Women appearance in 2009, they beat Mauritius twice and conceded two close defeats against Africa household names Mozambique and Cameroon.

Overall, South Africa have accumulated a 5-12 mark in three AfroBasket Women appearances since 1993.

However, things seem encouraging for the Southern Africans.

Earlier this year, Basketball South Africa - the country's basketball governing body - felt it was about time to move on and put together a re-energised team that finished undefeated in four games in Africa Zone 6 Group I qualifier held in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

In that tournament, they edged out Botswana and Zimbabwe.

For Cameroon 2015, head coach Kimathi Toboti has blended veterans with a new a generation of players.

Half of the team that played in 2009 in Antananarivo, Madagascar - including Pumla Sathula, Ellen Moutlwatse, Veranique Samuels, Lungile Mtsweni, Nosipho Njokweni and Philadelphia Khoabane - are back in action, while Sophy Ngobeni heads a list of newcomers that also includes Fortunate Bosega, Buyiswa Gwangwa, Lindiwe Shabangu, Zanele Ndaba and Modiegi Mokoka.

Key Player: Since finishing her college career at US Hamilton University, Sathula has become one of the stars of the national team.

Rising Star: Ngobeni, a 1.91m center, has made a name for herself and should remain relevant for coach Toboti's team.

Outlook: It has taken South Africa years to get to where they are now, and they hope to stay there for a long while. This tournament should be just the starting point for a country working hard to put basketball in the international map.

Possible outcome: None better than South Africa team's coach to describe how far they go in the tournament: "We don't want to go and be tourists in Cameroon, we want to compete against the best and with the support that the federation in the country has shown towards women basketball, we can achieve that goal," coach Toboti once said in an interview with FIBA.com.

FIBA