KINSHASA (DR Congo) - After ten years away from the FIBA AfroBasket - Africa's major basketball tournament - the Democratic Republic of Congo returned in style three years ago and show no signs of slowing down.

And although the Congolese fell short in the first round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 African Qualifiers, the 'Leopards' went on to clinch the inaugural FIBA AfroCan in Bamako, Mali, with five wins in as many games.

Maxi Shamba, a 26-year-old shooting guard, who has played a major role in the Congolese success in recent times, says change for the better is coming.

Talking to FIBA.basketball, Shamba reflected on the transformation of the game in his country: "Thanks to our recent success, we have more young girls and boys playing basketball. They hope to follow in our footsteps and one day become champions in order to be welcomed by the Presidency of our country. They hope to write new chapters in Congolese basketball."

"With that said," Shamba continued: "We have the duty to continue working and develop the game of basketball in the Congo."

 Later this year, Shamba and Co will be put to the test again when they open their FIBA AfroBasket 2021 Qualifiers against reigning African champions Tunisia, Madagascar and the Central African Republic.

The teams that finish in the top-three places of the group advance to the 16-nation Final Round in Kigali, Rwanda.

Shambe insists they don't want to miss the opportunity of keeping flying the Congolese flag among the best teams on the continent. "We've already played two of our opponents recently [Tunisia and Central African Republic (CAF)], but we need to learn more about Madagascar. Tunisia are the champions of Africa, Central Africans are used to this kind of competitions, and I am sure Madagascar won't be there to make up numbers," he explained.

But how exactly did the DR Congo start to attract so much attention from opponents?

They opened their FIBA AfroBasket 2017 campaign upsetting then-defending champions Nigeria, and they caused even more damages in the [FIBA Basketball] World Cup 2019 African Qualifiers, beating Egypt in Cairo and Angola in the Group Phase.

"Unlike our women's senior team who have won more than one African Championship, we had never won a continental trophy. This Cup [FIBA AfroCan] was an honor for our country, especially because it was the first edition," said the man who was named the Most Valuable Player in the 12-nation tournament. He added: "The secret for our [FIBA AfroCan] victory was discipline, team work and cohesion."

At personal level, Shamba is gradually becoming a household name in African basketball landscape.

After helping Morocco's side Association Sportive Sale win the FIBA Africa Champions Cup 2017, the 1.90m (6ft 3in) guard joined Tunisia's Etoile Sportive Sahel. He did not stay in Tunisia for long as Egytp's Zamalek Basketball offered him a deal for the upcoming Basketball Africa League.

All these international experiences, Shamba notes, helped change his perspective of the game: "I had the opportunity to meet players from different national teams whose respective championships were among the best in the world.

"Having learnt to play basketball outdoors, being able to play in several championships outside of my country, it's a surreal experience. I have realised that we have considerable potential, but our country lacks infrastructure to compete with other major teams."

FIBA