LEEDS (Julio Chitunda's African Message) - For some FIBA AfroBasket players, coaches and fans the tournament has caused mixed feelings over the past few decades, and in today's column three players share what they call their AfroBasket's most memorable games.

There have been three different African champions in the last three editions of FIBA Africa's flagship tournament, which speaks volumes about its competitiveness.

So, with basketball at standstill across the globe, I called on current and former FIBA AfroBasket stars to share some of their most memorable games and asked them how it impacted their careers. 

Having covered a number of FIBA AfroBasket tournaments, I found it fascinating how some players retain vivid memories of some historic games. 

Let's get started with Cameroon's Gaston Essengue, Egyptian shooting guard Ibrahim El Gammal and Guy Edi of Cote d'Ivoire.

Gaston Essengue

When the opportunity to represent our country at AfroBasket 2007 came we believed that we could make history. People outside of our country knew very little about Cameroon basketball.

Gaston Essengue (Cameroon)

MEMORABLE GAME (1):  Cameroon v Angola (72-86) - 2007 AfroBasket FINAL

Most of us were student-athletes at USA universities at the time. We were young, talented, ambitious, energetic, we had a huge self-belief, but, most importantly, we were determined to put our country's name on the African basketball map because there was a 17-year gap since Cameroon's last participation at AfroBasket.

We had faced many adversities to participate in the tournament. We had to practice with our own universities gear because we had little or no support, but we were happy to be in Angola and compete against the best teams in Africa.

We beat Mozambique, South Africa, Tunisia, Cote d'Ivoire and Egypt before meeting hosts Angola in the Final. It was the game of our lives.

Even though it was a sellout stadium, we never felt intimidated. I remember coming off the bench and make a big impact. Eventually, Angola's experience was the biggest difference between our teams, but we still believed that we could have done better than that. Playing a FIBA AfroBasket Final is something that I will never forget.  [Essengue finished with 14 points and five rebounds].

MEMORABLE GAME (2): Cameroon v Angola (83-84 OT) - 2011 AfroBasket QUARTER-FINALS

Four years earlier we'd lost to Angola in the Final. So, Madagascar was the perfect stage for a rematch. We met in Quarter-Finals.

We led Angola for most of the match, but somehow we made a number of unforgivable mistakes, and Angola ended up beating us again.

For years, I refused to rewatch and talk about that game because the way we lost was too painful. But I have managed to overcome that pain. And If anybody out there has a footage of that game, please feel free to share, I really want to understand how we lost it.

[A NOTE from the editor: Cameroon led Angola 76-71 with ten seconds left in the regulation. Angola's Milton Barros came off the bench, buried a three-pointer to make it a two-point game. As Cameroon's Parfait Bitee attempted to receive an inbound pass he fouled Barros, an offensive foul that gave Felizardo Ambrosio a chance to tie the game at 76-all. In the additional five minutes, Cameroon's errors continued. Angola outscored Cameroon 8-7 to advance to the Semi-Finals.] 

 Ibrahim El Gammal 

Very few people gave us a chance in Abidjan. It felt as if they were ruling us out because we did not have big names on our team. 

To make matters worse we started the tournament with three defeats in a row against Senegal (72-70), Algeria (67-63) and Cote d'Ivoire (69-67). 

Ibrahim El Gammal (Egypt)

MEMORABLE GAME: Egypt v Senegal (70-63) - 2013 AfroBasket Semi-Final

But we never lost faith. So beating Tunisia and Cape Verde gave us a huge morale boost, but beating a very good Senegalese team in the Semi-Final was a moment that I will remember for many years. It was a statement of our perseverance and togetherness.

That win still means a lot to me because it ensured us a ticket to the 2014 FIBA Basketbal World Cup. It was Egypt's first World Cup ticket since 1990.

As for other remarkable AfroBasket games, I have to pick Cameroon v Angola at 2011 AfroBasket. It was crazy! But Angola showed a real champion spirit. 

 Guy Landry Edi

Playing at home is always special. And despite the social and political circumstances Cote d'Ivoire was living at the time, the whole country was behind us.

Guy Edi (Cote d'Ivoire)

So, we wanted to bring something to cheer our fans up. But things don't always go according to plan.

MEMORABLE GAME (1): Cote d'Ivoire v Senegal (56-57) - 2013 AfroBasket Third-Place game

After losing to [eventual champions] Angola in the Semi-Finals, a win in the Third-Place game against Senegal, would be good enough to secure the last spot available for African teams for the World Cup the following year in Spain.

We had beaten Senegal in the Group Play [74-46], but the Third-Place games was something else. It was a highly-contested game that we desperately needed to win, but that didn't happen. It was a devastating experience, but it taught us a lesson for future games. We are a team that we are now thanks to experiences like that.

When we beat Nigerian at home in the 2019 World Cup Qualifiers a lot of people said Nigeria lost on purposed. But we don't get that, losing the AfroBasket 2013 at home was a painful lesson.

[A NOTE from the editor: It was a low-scoring game [57-56] but a breathtaking one. Inexplicably Senegal's Mamadou Ndiaye who had missed his first three three-point attempts, converted his fourth attempt, followed by a free-throw with twelve seconds left to decide the winner of the Third-Place game.]

MEMORABLE GAME (2): Cote d'Ivoire v Rwanda (80-72) - 2011 AfroBasket Group Phase game

It was my AfroBasket debut in 2011 in Madagascar. I was at University and I wanted to help my country after the World Cup the year before. It was one of best games of my national team career. It was almost a perfect game for me, I finished with 34 points and, more importantly, we won the game.

Stay tuned for more statements from more AfroBasket stars. 

Formerly a biennial competition, FIBA AfroBasket is now a quadrennial event, and as winners of the 2017 edition, Tunisia will look to defend their continental title next year in Kigali, Rwanda.

Julio Chitunda
FIBA 

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