RADES (FIBA Africa Champions Cup 2017) - As hosts of the FIBA Africa Champions Cup 2017 Etoile Sportive de Rades and Union Sportive Monastirienne prepare to face off in the Semi-Finals on Tuesday, the story of brothers Bechir and Mohamed Hadidane has caught the imagination of Tunisian fans.

On so many occasions they played together, but this week, they are locked in a battle for the FIBA African Champions Cup crown.

They began their basketball careers together from a young age, they have also shared the locker room while playing for Club Africain, and more recently, they won the FIBA AfroBasket 2017.

Bechir, a 33-year-old small forward who plays for Monastir, has never won the ACC, while his 31-year-old sibling has lifted FIBA Africa's Clubs competition in 2011 while playing for Etoile Sportive de Sahel.

Unlike Bechir, Mohamed was part of the Tunisian team that won their first-ever African title in 2011 and went on to play at the London Olympics. 

They stopped by to tell FIBA.basketball of their basketball careers. It came as no surprise that Bechir paid a tribute to his younger brother. 

"Mohamed is a hardworking player right from when we were in high school then to club level which we also started out together on the same club (Stade Nabeulien), then to Club Africain where we also won some laurels.

"I was particularly happy for him when he was named to the FIBA AfroBasket 2017 All-Star team. Now we will have the opportunity to play against each other in this [African] Champions Cup, and I’m very sure we (US Monastir) will win."

Meanwhile, Mohamed insisted that his elder brother is a good teammate to be around but they had to part ways at some point to play for a different clubs.

Unsurprisingly, Mohamed is also adamant that his Etoile Sportive de Rades will surely come out victorious.

FIBA