SHEFFIELD (Julio Chitunda's African Message) - Twelve months of high expectations have gone fast, but a few players and a coach could not go unnoticed for their performances in international competitions.

This week's column aims to highlight the feat accomplished by five African-born players, in all categories, and explain why they should have been awarded - if there was an official recognition - the titles of African Basketball Players and Coach of the Year. 

1. Mozambican Leia Dongue scoops the award in the women's category for her tenacity and performances with both the national team and club. 

The 23-year-old, who was voted the Most Valuable Player of the 2014 African Champions Cup for Women earlier this month in Sfax, Tunisia, is without a doubt the best African women's player of 2014.

While still based in Angola, she might not stay there much longer if she continues to play how she's done the last 12 months.

Before putting up big performances at 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women, Dongue, helped her employer Primeiro D'Agosto clinch their 10th Angolan title following a 65-59 triumph against city archival InterClube de Luanda.

Unsurprisingly, Dongue was named the MVP of the Campeonato Feminino de Basquete.

When I asked her to explain her World Championship experience, she said: "The difference this year was that I was physical and mentally prepared to face such great players in the world championship, particularly Sandrine Gruda, a player that I like to watch playing for France as well in the WNBA."

2. In the men's category, no African player had a more important role to help his country than Gorgui Dieng did for his native Senegal.

The 24-year-old was not just Senegal's top performer at the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain,  averaging 16 points and 10 rebounds per game, but he was also the team's inspirational leader, who never gave up fighting.

The Minnesota Timberwolves center was crucial in helping Senegal past Croatia and Puerto Rico, although they fell short to Spain in the second-round.

If he remains committed to the national team, he could become a valuable asset for Senegal.

When I asked him to sum up Senegal's run at Spain 2014, his response said it all about his future with Senegal: "Hopefully we will take a lesson from this tournament and make it to the Olympics."

3. Tunisia's 17-year-old Achref Gannouni was the best performer at the U18 African Championship for Men.

Even though his country finished second following a 80-69 defeat to Egypt and Angola's Gerson Monteiro was named the event MVP, Gannouni's solid performances throughout the tournament in Antananarivo, Madagascar made a big impact for Tunisia, who will compete in the 2015 FIBA U19 Championship. 

4. The U18 female African Player of the Year is obviously Mali's Djeneba N'Diaye, who paced her country with 13.9 points per game at 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship for Women in the Czech Republic. 

The 17-year-old left Klatovy having being the top-scorer in two games and led Mali to a historic win over Italy, the first triumph by an African junior team against an European counterpart on the world stage. 

5. A distinction for 3x3 star Firas Lahyani. 3x3 keeps growing its popularity in Africa, and one man is partially responsible for it.

Tunisian Lahyani, who plays for Union Sportive Monastir, and is also known as 'Air Tunisia', won the 2014 FIBA 3x3 World World Championships Nike Dunk Contest held in Moscow, Russia.

6. Oumarou Sidiya is my choice for 2014 African Coach of the Year for his commitment and hard work with Mali's youth female teams.

A couple of years ago, at the FIBA U17 World Championship for Women held in Amsterdam, Netherlands, his  group of young Malian players lost 71-31 to Italy. Two years of revising and learning from his mistakes, Mali stunned Italy 46-44.

There will be many players and coaches to follow in 2015.

Julio Chitunda

FIBA

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