CACERES (Spain) - A 1-2 mark wasn't necessarily how Cape Verde intended to start their FIBA AfroBasket 2021 Qualifiers, but one of the team's leading scorers, Jeff Xavier feels the best is yet to come.

Cape Verde currently sit third in their group ahead of Morocco, but they trail Egypt (3-0) and Uganda (2-1).

The islanders desperately need to improve a few aspects of their game, Xavier has admitted, in order to secure one of Group E's three slots available the Final Round of the African Championship next year in Kigali, Rwanda.

"I AM REALLY LOST FOR WORDS BECAUSE IT [PLAYING FOR CAPE VERDE] MEANS THAT MUCH. THERE'S NOT MANY THINGS THAT I CAN COMPETE WITH PLAYING FOR MY NATIONAL TEAM." - Jeff Xavier

And, the FIBA AfroBasket 2021 Qualifiers, which resume in February, emerge as an uphill challenge for a Cape Verde team that adamantly believes they belong among the continent's elite. 

How can they make it happen? Xavier noted that resilience and determination could be key factors in Cape Verde's attempt to advance to the Kigali showdown.

"Obviously we know our opponents better, we know what we have to do and what we have to improve, which is our defence and better basketball IQ offensively. If we improve that, we definitely have big chances of winning more games in the February window," Xavier said to FIBA.basketball.

Cape Verde, who currently rank 15th in Africa (97th in the world), last featured at Africa's premier basketball event back in 2015.

Analysing their Group E opponents and where their chances stand, Xavier said that "Egypt was the best team in the November window, but I think we are not far off. I don't think Uganda and Morocco are far off either, but we are definitely going to improve for February.

"[Against Egypt] with three minutes to go we were down by three, and, obviously with Uganda we could have easily won that one. To go there and only have four days, two practices to prepare for these Qualifiers was very difficult".

Prevented from using skilful point guard Shane Da Rosa and top rebounder Sekouba Conde last week in Alexandria due to last-minute injuries, Cape Verdeans hope for better days in their quest to return to the African Championship for the first time in five years. 

Xavier added: "When the national team and teammates told me how important that is for the country to qualify for the AfroBasket, that really, makes me play even more because there's a whole country we are playing for. All that makes me more excited to play, it makes me give my all."

Xavier contributed 18.7 points per game in Cape Verde's first three games, and he averaged a joint-AfroBasket Qualifiers-high 7.7 assists per game alongside Senegal's Clevin Hannah. 

At 35, and over a decade of professional basketball under his belt, Xavier plays for Caceres Basket in LEB Oro, - the second tier of Spain's basketball hierarchy.

Xavier, who made his national team debut 12 years ago, during the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2008 in Greece, and returned for FIBA AfroBasket 2009 in Libya, insists that playing for Cape Verde has impacted Xavier's career in a positive way. 

The 1.88m (6ft 2in) shooting guard says he has kept a close eye on the country's basketball progression through the years, and even though he had only played alongside brothers Joel and Ivan Almeida and Fidel Mendonca, he calls the the current squad a talented one. 

Xavier took noticed of And Anderson Correia's style of play. "Anderson Correia is a great player. He definitely belongs somewhere, playing professionally somewhere. I was surprised that he wasn't [playing professionally], he just has to improve in some aspects of the game. Hopefully, by the end of this year or early next year, he should have something better. He's definitely one of the most athletic players I have ever played with.

"For me, representing the whole country, where my family is from, is amazing. Every time someone asks that question, I am really lost for words because it really, really, means that much. There's not many things that I can compete with playing for my national team," he explained.

Xavier went on: "That year (2009) I didn't really understand what it took to play for my national team. I was a worried about my points. Fast forward to 2020, I just want to win and help the younger guys improve; tell them how I’ve grown as a player. Now, it's definitely a better version of me even though I am older and play the same way."

FIBA