MANKATO (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - For Assem Marei, Egypt's 70-63 win over Senegal in the Semi-Finals of AfroBasket 2013 turned out to be not only a chance of playing in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, but an opportunity to play against his childhood idol.

Later this summer, Marei is to suit up against Pau Gasol in Group A of Spain 2014, which will be staged in Granada and it includes the host nation Spain, EuroBasket 2013 champions France, Europe powerhouse Serbia, Asian champions Iran and Brazil.

Egypt will open their World Cup campaign on 30 August against Serbia, and will take on hosts Spain on Day 2.

Marei can't wait for that second day of action.

"As a child, I used to be a big fan of Pau Gasol. It is a great feeling to think about the prospect of playing against him," he told FIBA.com.

But when that day comes, if Gasol plays, "he will be just an opponent," Marei warns.

Egypt will return to the world stage for the first time since 1994, and are the lowest ranked team in the group (46th in the world).

Marei says his team will have to play with the same intensity it displayed in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire last summer.

"It is the kind of group that motivates us to play better," Marei said, adding that he "could not be more excited to play those teams.

"For us to do well in Spain, we can't be intimidated by our opponents. We'll have to play with a lot of determination."

When Egypt stunned Senegal, coach Amr Aboul Kheir, a former point guard who represented Egypt internationally, praised his team for their accomplishment and reminded his players of his own experience of facing big basketball names at the 1988 Olympics.

More than two decades later, Aboul Kheir still cherises the memory of Egypt squaring off against a David Robinson-led USA team in Seoul, Korea, and he uses it as a motivation for his team.

Aboul Kheir talked to Marei about the significance of playing on the world stage.

Marei listened and took the hard-working recommendation back to Minnesota State University, where he led the team in scoring and rebounding this past season.

Minnesota State boasted a 30-5 record but fell in the second round of the NCAA Division 2 tournament following a 71-66 loss to Missouri State University.

In his junior season, Marei averaged team-highs 16.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game and led the Mavericks with 53 blocks, while shooting 59 percent from the field.

The 21-year-old, who recorded 10 double-double performances this season, considers that he "did pretty well".

"I hope to keep helping both the national team and my school the same way," said the 2.06m forward.

"Right now I am focusing on my studies, and doing some body conditioning."

FIBA