BOURG-EN-BRESSE (France) -  When almost everyone expected Senegal to become the first team to slow down Nigeria's highflying FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers campaign four  months ago, they looked unrecognisable.

Nigeria not only outclassed Senegal 89-61, but the D'Tigers also made a tremendous statement about who the No1. team on the continent of Africa really are.

"OUR MINDSET IS GOING TO BE THE SAME AS THE OTHER [QUALIFYING] WINDOWS. WE ARE GOING TO TRY AND WIN ALL 3 GAMES AND GO TO CHINA"- Ndoye

However, when in three weeks' time, the two African heavyweights meet in Abidjan for the second leg of Group F of the World Cup qualifiers, Senegal will look to redeem themselves and avoid going down 0-4 in the head-to-head clash dating back to the FIBA AfroBasket 2015.

"Lately our games against Nigeria have been tough for us but we learned a lot," Youssoupha Ndoye admitted to FIBA.basketball, adding: "They are a real good team and we are looking forward to playing them again in Cote d'Ivoire."

In order to become the fourth African team to qualify for the China 2019 showpiece and make their second straight World Cup appearance, the Senegalese need one more win or wait for Cote d'Ivoire to lose at least one of their last three games.

For Ndoye, no matter how, Senegal will do everything in their power to join Nigeria, Angola and Tunisia in China.

"We have a chance to qualify and go to China. Our mindset is going to be the same as the other [qualifying] windows, 'we gonna try and win all 3 games and go to China."

A regular participant at world stage competition in recent years, the Senegalese team, Ndoye insisted, are hoping to make their fans proud. "It’s going to be significant not just the players but for the whole country of Senegal to be able to go represent our country for the second time in a row," he explained.

Asked to elaborate the significance of African having five representative at the World Cup for the first-ever, the 2.11m (6ft11in) center who is currently making waves in Frances' PRO A with Bourg-en-Bresse described it as an honor for the continent, " And we are really hoping to be one of the 5 teams who will go to China."

As well as Nigeria, Senegal who currently rank as the No.3 team in Africa according to FIBA World Rankings presented by Nike, will face Rwanda and Mali.

FIBA