KIGALI (Rwanda) - After bowing out of the 30th FIBA AfroBasket at the Quarter-Finals Qualification Round on Monday, what is left for five-time Africa champion Egypt?

To shift attention to the FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers 2023, which starts November, seems to be the Pharaohs' unanimous goal to the . 

Egypt never bargained for what hit them at FIBA Africa's flagship tournament after getting off to a brilliant start in Group B.

"QUALIFYING FOR THE FIBA BASKETBALL WORLD CUP 2023 SHOULD BE OUR FOCUS."- Ehab Amin

They dispatched the Central Africa Republic before giving up a 19-point lead to fall short against Tunisia.

And against all the odds, Egypt collapsed (86-78) against Guinea, a historic result for the latter who picked their  first win in thirty six years. 

As a result of their loss to Guinea, Egypt were paired with Angola in the Qualification Round for the Quarter-Finals, where the Angolans proved too much for Egypt, who returned home with a 1-3 mark.

Egypt enterprising point guard, Ehab Saleh Amin says it is time to put the misadventure of the AfroBasket 2021 behind and focus on what is ahead, the World Cup Qualifiers, where they will attempt to return to the FIBA Basketball World Cup for the first time since 2014.

The 26-year-old, who led Egypt in scoring with 17.5 points per game, stopped by to talk to FIBA.basketball, and shared his views on the future of his national team.

The Al Ahly guard insisted that what is left of them is to quickly get over their exit from the Kigali 2021 showdown and focus on what they needed to do to pick one of the five slots on offer for African teams for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 to be held in Japan, Indonesia and Philippines. 

"What has happened [in Kigali] can not be reversed, and so for me personally, is to continue to work on my game so I will continue to improve and help our national team regain the lost-ground," Amin says.

"Qualifying for the World Cup 2023 should be our focus."

Amin made his name across the continent after helping his country win the FIBA U18 African Championship 2012 in Mozambique, in a tournament where he scooped the MVP award. 

He later embarked on US College basketball career, having played his last season in 2018-19 for the University of Oregon. 

"For me basketball is a way of life because I started learning the rope so early at the age of seven in my home state, Alexandria and went on to represent Egypt in both the U16 and U18 before moving to the USA. I returned to Egypt upon the completion of my studies and joined Al Ahly basketball club and still play there till date," Amin explained.

Amin made his AfroBasket debut six years ago in Tunisia.

 
"Though the outcome of our campaign at the AfroBasket 2021 was not what we hoped for, injury to some players slowed us down."

Amin has been one of the most regular members of the Egyptian national team. He averaged 10.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.3 assist in four FIBA AfroBasket Qualifiers 2021 games.

FIBA