ABIDJAN (AfroBasket/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - AfroBasket 2013 Group A contenders Senegal and hosts Cote d'Ivoire are set to battle for the remaining African qualifying place for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Saturday’s Third-Place Game.

In the Preliminary Round, Cote d’Ivoire prevailed with 74-46 win over Senegal, and went to the Final Round of the tournament unbeaten in three games, but they were unable to play their flawless game against a suffocating Angola defense as they lost 66-59 in the Semi-Final.

Senegal lost to the hosts in their second game of the tournament, but made a massive statement with a 64-63 Quarter-Final win over Nigeria before a highly-motivated Egyptian team abruptly interrupted their race to reach the Final, beating the Senegalese 70-63 in Friday's first Semi-Final.

Senegal last beat Cote d'Ivoire in AfroBasket competition in 2001, but as head coach Cheikh Sarr puts it, they will step out on court "to compete."

By the time, Cote d'Ivoire face Senegal on Saturday, it will have been less than 24 hours since their heartbreaking defeat to Angola.

And the hosts will need to work extra hard to overcome a very physical Senegal team that has not featured in FIBA World Championship since 2006 when they finished 21st in the 24-team tournament.

Cote d'Ivoire's head coach Natxo Lezkano shared his thoughts with FIBA.com.

"I came here to take this team to the world championship in Spain," he said.

"Saturday's game has nothing to do with the game we played in the first round, and it is going to be an even and tough game.

"We must step up from this loss (against Angola) because life moves on."

Sarr said that regardless of what happened in the Preliminary Round, Senegal will compete to go to the 24-team FIBA Basketball World Cup.

"Everybody wants to go to the world championship, and we'll do our best tomorrow and try to be there (in Spain in 2014)," he stated.

FIBA