MAPUTO (AfroBasket Women 2015) - Deolinda Ngulela has been one of most recognisable faces of Mozambique's women's national team in recent years, but she is now embracing new challenges.

Media reports have suggested that the 34-year-old - who was appointed player-coach of local club Costa do Sol in February - could end her national team career in two years.

Before that time comes though, the point guard is likely to have her last shot at trying to win an AfroBasket Women title in Yaounde, Cameroon, from 24 September to 3 October.

"As a player, I only feel 90 percent accomplished because I have never won an African Championship," she told Mozambique Jornal Noticias.

The 34-year-old played a crucial role in helping her country finish second at AfroBasket Women 2013 held in Mozambique's capital city of Maputo. Ngulela was highly determined to win her first African championship, coming up with some key plays of the tournament.

One of those moments came after Mozambique trailed most of the Semi-Final against Cameroon, before Ngulela hit a three-pointer later in the third quarter which boosted the hosts to a 61-57 win.

That triumph allowed Mozambique to make their FIBA Women's World Championship debut in Turkey last summer.

Ngulela feels she has accomplished a lot with Mozambique, which, along with Serbia, climbed more places than any other national in the FIBA bwin World Ranking Women.

"We accomplished our target of having a dignified participation [at Turkey 2014]. We became the only African national team, who has competed, so far, with some quality," she said.

Mozambique's game against Canada, in the Turkish capital of Ankara, was clearly one of their best showings in the tournament.

That legacy, Ngulela says, can't afford to be wasted.

Last month, the 1.75m playmaker led a workshop in Maputo, aiming to discuss the peculiarities of the basketball coaching profession in the country.

The former Georgia Regents University player, who does not rule out the possibility of serving as an assistant to Mozambique coach Nasir Sale, said they need to share more basketball coaching skills.

"This is a key moment [for basketball coaches] because the game of basketball in the country is moving towards an undesirable path, and we have to turn it around," she said.

"As coaches, we can't continue to point out finger at others. The main outcome of this workshop shows clearly that coaches are eager to learn from one another.

"One of my battles is going to be bringing qualified coaches - at a reduced cost - to help us in the development of our coaching skills," she explained.

When asked how and why she embraced her player-coach career, Ngulela replied: "Many people, including my teammates, encouraged me to accept it, saying that I had the talent [to take the coaching role]. Before I got the job, I had never thought seriously about it. Then, they said there was not a better person to coach the team."

Costa do Sol is formed mostly by a number of Mozambique internationals, including Deolinda Gimo, Catia Halar, Valerdina Manhonga, Filomena Micato and Ilda Chambe.

When asked if she feels capable of joining coach Sale, Ngulela answered: "Only [coach Sale] can say, but he often says that I would be a good coach."

As for the future of the game in the country, Ngulela pointed out that sponsors are key for the development of the game of basketball.

"Fortunately, many foreign investors are coming to Mozambique," she said. "If we improve the quality of our competition with good players, we would be able to increase the exposure of basketball, and TV channels would be interested in showing the games.

"More importantly, people would not need to wait until the African Championships to attend and watch good basketball, such was the AfroBasket Women 2013 experience."

FIBA