OUAGADOUGOU (AfroBasket 2015) - Nearly two years after leading Burkina Faso at AfroBasket 2013, Moussa Ouattara returns for national team duties as his country take on Nigeria in the battle for the last qualifying place on offer for AfroBasket 2015.

Ouattara, who plays for Belgium Development League side Belfius Mons-Hainaut, is one of the players coach Jean-Paul Rebatet expects to spark Burkina Faso when they host Nigeria on Monday in Group E first-leg qualifier in the country's capital of Ouagadougou.

The second-leg match-up is expected to take place in Lagos on Wednesday 25 March.

Ouattara, a 2.02m forward who averaged team-highs 12.4 points and 5.4 rebounds in the last edition of the African Championship, is expected to bring his scoring and rebounding abilities to the Burkinabes who are looking for their second consecutive AfroBasket appearance.

In Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria finished a disappointing seventh, their worst result in the last 11 editions of the continental championship.

Former D'Tigers assistant coach Sani Ahmed has taken the helm and made sure to call up London 2012 Olympians Olumide Oyedeji and Ejike Ugboaja to join the experienced duo of Stanley Gumut and Abubakar Usman.

Burkina Faso and Nigeria have different basketball histories.

While the Nigerians are the third-highest placed African nation in the FIBA bwin Ranking Men (24th) and feature regularly at AfroBasket, the Burkinabes (85th) are trying to put their name on the African basketball map.

Even though coach Rabatet will not be able to count on Jean Victor Traore - the man credited for igniting Burkina Faso in the two-game qualifier against Togo, which resulted their historical AfroBasket qualification two years ago - the Frenchman will have some big men at his disposal.

Kader Tapsoba, Mamadou Savadogo and Jean-Paul Bayala, all featured for the Burkina Faso in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, and are with the team trying to upset favourites Nigeria.

The Nigerians have one goal in mind: to qualify for Tunisia 2015 and the national federation epitomises the team's optimism.

"We respect our opponent, but they are not capable of stopping from qualifying for both the AfroBasket and All-African Games," said coach Ahmed.

"The players are ready to prove they are worthy ambassadors of Nigeria basketball."

In 2013, Burkina Faso made their AfroBasket debut with an 80-61 loss to Rwanda and went on to finish 0-5.

Traore, who plays for Lille in French second tier, will not take part in the qualifier.

Along with Gilles Diendere, these are the players Rabatet wished for to have a more competitive team.

"It will be a difficult series for us because there are a few key players missing on our team," Rebatet, who has also coached Morocco, Central African Republic (CAF) and Gabon,said to FIBA.com.

"Nigeria is a good team, but our hope is to play well and qualify."

The winners of the qualifier will book a place at AfroBasket 2015 - a qualifier for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics - as well as qualify for the All-African Games taking place in the Republic of Congo from 4-19 September.

Twelve of the 16 teams that will take part in this summer's African Championship are already known. They are: hosts Tunisia, reigning champions Angola, Mali, Morocco, Egypt, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Cameroon and Gabon.

FIBA