SHEFFIELD (Julio Chitunda’s African Message) - The frequently asked question about the future of Africa women’s basketball resurfaced during and after the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women because of Angola and Mozambique’s modest campaigns.

Considering the results obtained by some Africa national teams  from all parts of the continent - in the world stage over the course of the past three decades, the idea of “Team Africa”, formed by best Africa performers and the caliber of AfroBasket Women All-Tournament teams, could raise the African flag, given its talent, which seems to be evaporating without real gains.

Some good African players like Senegal’s Astou Ndiaye, Nigeria’s Mfon Udoka and Congolese Mwadi Mabika, just to mention a few have, have represented their respective countries in the world stage, but retired from their playing careers without the glory their talents deserved. 

In so many occasions I have been asked about the perspective of having a “Team Africa” rather than one or two national teams - depending on the nature of the tournament - to represent the continent.

Angola, Nigeria, Kenya, Tunisia, Senegal, Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Madagascar have all tried their best, but the positive results are taking too long to appear.

I have always stated that from the sporting stand point, the “Team Africa” would be a good idea as it would probably become more competitive, attract more interest across the continent, and, consequently, inspire others.

To the question how the team would be built, my view is this: Players, coaching staff, medical team as well as managerial staff should be selected on the basis of their determination and self-belief in turning things around. This means, they would be selected, firstly, on their winning mentality and merit. Planning and the team’s preparation would need a professional approach too. 

It is a debatable issue, no doubt about it, especially when we consider that basketball relevance varies from country to country in Africa. 

On the other hand, I feel that selecting a “Team Africa” to represent over a billion Africans on the world stage could undermine the growth of the game in countries with little basketball expression. 

But if we take a closer look at the talent spread across the continent, a “Team Africa” makes sense.

Can we imagine the likes of Mozambicans Deolinda Ngulela and Leia Dongue, Senegal’s Astou Traore, Nacissela Mauricio of Angola and Cameroonian Ramses Lonlack come together to face Spain, France, Australia or the USA?

If we join them, Djene Diawara, Djenebou Sissoko, Naignouma Coulibaly, Aya Traore, Nadir Manuel, Gano Njiogap and Sarah Ogoke, Africa could bolster its chances of winning more games that it has won so far in the world stage.

And, later this month, we’ll see if the 2015 edition of the African Champions Cup for Women (ACCW) brings hope. 

We’ll see how the ACCW turns out without some household names.

This past week we turned attentions to Maputo, where Mozambique’s champions Ferroviario do Maputo, a team that includes some of Africa’s finest athletes, was eliminated from the upcoming 2015 African Champions Cup for Women qualifier, after being knocked out in the FIBA Africa Zone 6 qualifier.

As a result of their elimination, Ferroviario, which employs Deolinda Ngulela, Rute Muianga, Deolinda Gimo and Anabela Cossa, will miss out on the 2015 edition of the African Champions Cup for Women, FIBA Africa’s flagship tournament, which displays some of the best African-based talents. 

Even if local federations disagree with the “Team Africa” idea, they should, at least, try and see how it goes.

Julio Chitunda

FIBA

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