CAIRO (Egypt) - Senegal shooting guard Astou Traore is one of the best female players to ever come from the African continent and the world over. Her shooting prowess and leadership on court is a thing of great admiration. 

That a 39-year old is still dominating the scene should be a worry for the Senegalese technical department. Another Traore, Aya at 37 was called back to the national team setup earlier this year because her services are indeed still needed.

At the FIBA Women's AfroBasket 2019 in Dakar, Senegal had just four players below the age of 30 and five that were 35 and above bringing their average age to 32. This setup brought experience to the team but had its own detriments. 

Astou Traore has been Senegal's best player for over a decade

The appointment of former Lionesses head coach Moustapha Gaye as the Technical Director promises to bring a new dawn to the face of women's basketball in Senegal. He has already started a solid grassroots program countrywide.

Speaking exclusively to FIBA.basketball, Gaye said, "In each of the 14 regions in Senegal, we have introduced U13, U15 and U17 leagues and these are mainly to develop talent from the young age. We realized that this is going to be important going forward. We have to start now if we want to see results in the next five years."

"We have to start by exposing these young girls to international competitions as early as possible. This will start right from the U16s and U18s so that they graduate to the senior team. We have to do this with patience well knowing that the results will not come in one week. We are ready for the challenge and we shall build."

At the ongoing FIBA U18 Women's African Championship, Senegal have shown signs of brilliance and teamwork, improving in every game that they have played while eyeing a place at the prestigious FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2021. 

For a youth team that is competing at an international level for the very first time, Gaye is impressed with the performance so far but he admits that there is still room for improvement. It is a marathon and not a sprint. 

He said, "We want to qualify for the World Cup. That is our main objective and we can still do it as long as we stay focused. The players know what is at stake and we are hoping for the best. They can do it."

Khadija Faye listens to head coach Ousmane Diallo and Gaye

Even though Senegal have lost two games so far, Diallo has something to smile about. Faye is averaging 10.5 points and nine rebounds per game while point guard Victorine Thiaw is the leader on the average assists per game with six to her name. 

Thiaw's ball control to call the shots from the back court has resemblances of the senior team point guard trio of Bintou Dieme, Ndeye Sene and Oumoul Khairy Sarr. She picks qualities from all the three. Their speed, understanding of the game and ability to stay calm even when playing against more experienced teams. 

Her experience playing for French side Charnay Basket Bourgogne is coming in handy in Cairo and she can only improve going forward if she is consistent. 

She has the respect of her teammates who trust her with the ball and for the technical staff, she could be a long-term solution for the point guard position as Senegal continue the rebuilding journey. 

Thiaw is crucial to Senegal's remodeling

With the NBA Academy based in Senegal as well as the SEED Project amongst other youth-focused initiatives, Gaye believes that it is only just a matter of time that the stars align and the Lionesses return to the top. 

"We have so much talent in Senegal. Young girls more than ever are inspired to play basketball in Senegal. We want to give them an opportunity to do that and we shall do everything possible to realize these dreams. We are on the right path," Gaye said.

Senegal take on the unbeaten defending champions Mali in their third tie at this tournament on Monday at 1730hrs GMT +2 local time in Cairo in a bid to pick their first win. 

Senegal have their work cut out as they look to qualify for the FIBA U19 Women's World Cup 2021. The task is glaring for they will need to dig deep to achieve this. 

FIBA