LEEDS (Julio Chitunda's African Message) - There is a lot of excitement about the reformulated FIBA Africa Basketball League (FIBA ABL), which starts in just over a week's time. 

With so many innovative measures added to the FIBA ABL, the new competition has become a topic of conversation for African basketball followers.

For instance, the FIBA ABL is expected to be played over a three-month period for the first time in the history of a FIBA Africa's clubs competitions. The tournament will see a record 16 clubs (unlike its previous 12) facing off, and more excitingly, the Round of 16 will be played across four different African cities.

Click here for more information about the FIBA Africa Basketball League (NOTE: some dates have been updated.)

Previously known as FIBA Africa Champions Cup (ACC), the new competition will run from Friday, February 8-10 in the Egyptian capital city of Cairo with Group C, which is made up of hosts Al Ahly, Primeiro D'Agosto of Angola, Rwanda's REG and Ferroviario da Beira from Mozambique.

As an African basketball enthusiast and researcher, I have been talking to players, coaches, clubs directors and fellow journalists about the ABL, and, although some raise questions about the financial sustainability of the new model, the majority agrees that it comes at the right.

So, I've compiled some important information about the first four clubs to enter the new chapter for African basketball.

Get to know FIBA ABL's Group C's team.

Al Ahly (EGYPT)

Often described as one of Egypt's basketball giants, the 'Red Devils' have never hidden their intentions of dominating the sport on the continent of Africa, aiming to replicate their football counterpart who are currently Africa's most celebrated football club.

And, winning the 2016 ACC in front of their home fans, and becoming the first Egyptian club to win the trophy since Gezira claimed it in 1998, seemed to be the beginning of Al Ahly's revival. However, unexpectedly, or maybe not, Al Ahly pulled out of the 2017 ACC edition, which saw Morocco's Association Sportive de Sale claim the African crown in Rades, Tunisia.

In a recent interview with FIBA.basketball, Al Ahly power forward Tarek  El Ghannam recalled that "The decision of hosting the first games here in Cairo comes at the right time for fans and basketball in general in Egypt." 

With a squad consisting of a number of Egyptian internationals - including shooting guard Ibrahim El Gammal -, and coached by Tarek Khairi, Al Ahly qualified for the ABL after beating fellow countrymen Smouha 68-67 in the FIBA Africa Zone 5 qualifier Final in the Tanzanian largest city of Dar es Salam capital in October. 

Ferroviario da Beira (MOZAMBIQUE)

Mozambique League runners-up, the Locomotives return to FIBA Africa's top clubs competition for the second year in a row.

After claiming a sixth-place finish in the 2017 ACC edition, Ferroviario da Beira adamantly believe they can do a lot better than that. 

Play-caller Nasir Sale - who has a respectable resume especially after leading Ferroviario da Beira to the national title in his first year in charge in 2017 - hopes to take the club to new heights, and the signing of Ugandan international Robinson Opong and two Serbian players, reflects Sale's and the clubs' ambitions in the ABL.

With a roster consisting of half of Mozambique internationals, Ferroviario da Beira claimed their spot in the reformulated FIBA ABL after finishing in the third place of FIBA Africa Zone 6 qualifiers in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

I have recently talked to Ferroviario da Beira power forward Helton Ubiss who insisted that beating continental heavyweight like D'Agosto and move on to the knock-out stage of the competition isn't impossible. 

REG (Rwanda Energy Group)

After finishing in the third-place of FIBA Africa Zone 5 qualifiers - behind Al Ahly and Smouha - the Rwandans were awarded a wildcard to participate in the inaugural ABL.

According to local paper 'The New Times', REG head coach Patrick Ngwijuruvugo insisted that "every player is eager to impress and help the team advance past the group stage. We have been drawn in a strong group, we will need to be at the top of our game to make it to knock-outs, and that is our goal. Players are working hard in training."

Primeiro D'Agosto (ANGOLA)

The Angolan champions have built an unparalleled success in Africa, winning eight ACC titles in an eleven-year span. 

And although the Angolan Army-funded club last won the competition six years ago, they head to Cairo aiming to live up to their heavyweight status. 

D'Agosto head coach is former point guard Paulo Macedo - a former Angolan international who starred for his country in early 1990s. As the man who guided D'Agosto to their last ACC title in 2013, he retuned to the club last year.

As well as featuring a number of Angolan internationals, like Armando Costa and Cisse Malick, the winners of the FIBA Africa Zone 6 Qualifiers with an impressive 6-0, count with the services of three former ACC MVPs namely Emmanuel Quezada (2015), Eduardo Mingas (2014) and Joaquim Gomes (2010 and 2008) the latter now serving as the club's basketball director.

Stay tuned for more ABL updates.

Julio Chitunda
FIBA

FIBA's columnists write on a wide range of topics relating to basketball that are of interest to them. The opinions they express are their own and in no way reflect those of FIBA.

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