YAOUNDE (Cameroon) - Cameroonian club Overdose Up Station have been hard at work preparing for the upcoming FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women in Maputo, Mozambique (9-17 December).

If things go according to plan, the Cameroonian side will be making their debut in the tournament.

En route to qualifying for the Maputo showpiece, Overdose overcame compatriots Universite de Douala and CNSS of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the FIBA Zone 4 qualifiers in October.

Ahead of the Championships,Roger Dassi, the team's coach, believes his team has what it takes to succeed in the competition that last held in December 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Any team can compete at this level, as long as they are mentally prepared and put in work at practice. I think the toughest competition we have faced so far was CNSS. They led us by twenty points in the (Zone 4) qualifiers, but we fought our way back and won," insisted Dassi who also serves as the club's president.

"Since we qualified (at the Zone 4 competition) we have been training hard for the women's championship, and I feel we are ready, but the issue is getting to Maputo. We are limited financially, so we are hoping the federation and government can come to the party and assist us," said Dassi.

"We have done our part, and we have prepared like never before, and now it's for the relevant people to help us."

Asked to describe his team's potential, Dassi noted: "We have a young team. Our youngest players are between the ages of eighteen and sixteen. I have confidence in this group of players, they are young, and because of their youth, we have a solid foundation for the future. They have already helped us win against experienced players, so they showed me regardless of their youth, they are ready to compete."

Dassi is confident in the ability of his team, and should they make it to Mozambique, he believes Overdose can win.

"We have been winning and don't know how to lose. There is a positive energy in the team, and we are not worried about which team has been there or which one is the favourite. All we know is we have been winning as well. We are four-time champions of our domestic league and when we step out of Cameroon it will be to win," said Dassi confidently.

Competing in continental competition requires confidence and Dassi is not short of it. Hopefully, it will brush off on his team should they make the trip to Maputo. The Cameroonians do seem like a team to watch out for in the Champions Cup.

FIBA