POISSY (France) – The last time Madagascar featured in the FIBA AfroBasket goes back to 2011, when the islanders hosted FIBA Africa’s flagship competition. This is the year of return to Africa's biggest basketball showpiece, they believe.

This time, they want to make history by paving their way to the top, and Rija Lahontan, the latest addition to a talented roster, believes firmly in his side’s chances.

The French native has proved himself a worthy addition to Madagascar’s roster as he topped his side’s numbers with an average of 17 points and five rebounds per game during the FIBA AfroBasket 2021 pre-qualifiers last month in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Now, he is looking forward to the next round where the islanders will face some tough opposition.

Back in Zimbabwe, the Malagasy side rolled out to a 4-0 winning streak, with an epic game against Zambia, which saw the two countries battle for victory over two rounds of overtime.

"This was really a tough game," recalls Lahontan, speaking to FIBA.basketball.

During this showdown, he did a bit of everything, tallying 16 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists. "This was the game we most wanted to win. We were more realistic during the extra-time and this is what helped us," the Périgueux native noted.

But when they faced the same Zambia on the return leg on Day 3, there was no need to go for extra time. The Malagasy side homed in a convincing win 93-59 triumph.

"We knew that, somehow, our opponents would be watching us. So we didn’t unveil our whole strategy from the start," he explained.

Now that they made it through to the FIBA AfroBasket 2021 Qualifiers round, the whole team is adamant about their chances of making it to the Final Round.

To them, getting back to continental affairs is only logical, after a star-studded GNBC made an impressive display during the BAL Qualifying Tournaments.

"Last year was something of a feat for Malagasy basketball. We won both the men’s and women’s tournaments at the Indian Ocean Island Games in Mauritius, and GNBC made it to the Second Round of the Basketball Africa  League. So now, as a national team, we don’t want to miss the train to Kigali," the 175m (5 ft 7 in) point guard added.

Things are about to get tough for the Malagasy team as they prepare to face reigning African champions, Tunisia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic in a bid to make it to the continental showpiece for the first time in a decade.

Time has come for them to prove they belong among Africa’s top teams after they hosted the  FIBA AfroBasket 2011. Back in time, Lahontan was a teenager learning the fundamentals of the game.

"From here on, we must believe in our capacity to upset anyone. We only featured in the 2011 AfroBasket because we hosted the tournament." he recalled.

Lahontan, who plies his trade with french side Poissy Basket Association, continued: "This time, we want to go and grab our ticket. This would be a major achievement for the whole team and for Madagascar as a country."

The top three teams from Group A will make it to Kigali showpiece next year.

FIBA