LEEDS (Julio Chitunda's African Message) - After three months of intense competition, which started with 16 clubs from all corners of Africa, we are now gearing up to the highly-awaited Africa Basketball League 2019 FINAL FOUR.

While the FINAL FOUR host club is yet to be officially confirmed, it is safe to affirm that the four-team event will mark a new era for basketball in Africa.

 But who are the FINAL FOUR teams? How did they make to the Last Four? And, more importantly, What are their FINAL FOUR expectations? I will try to answer all these questions with the support of all four head coaches, whom I managed to talk to over the past few days.

Smouha Sporting Club (Egypt)

Regarded as outsiders at the beginning of the tournament, Smouha SC not only recorded five wins in as many games, but they also dared to beat Egypt and former Africa champions Al Ahly not once but twice, closing the two-game ELITE 8 series with a 179-163 win on aggregate. 

"There was no secret to win the ELITE 8 series. We played with our hearts and a lot of team spirit, we have fantastic key players. Needless to say that our club's administration played an important role in our success," Smouha SC head coach Ashrif Farouk Elsayed told me.

The play-caller continued: "Mr. Mohamed Farag Amer - our club's president - has been very supportive to our program. He's made a good budget available for our basketball program and we responded with good results on the basketball court."

I asked coach Elsayed to elaborate the current moment the club is experiencing.

"This is the biggest challenge in the club's basketball history, and I am confident that we can win the FINAL FOUR even though we know that all three teams are more experienced than us," he replied.

Ashrif Farouk Elsayed (Smouha SC)

"We hope to host the FINAL FOUR in Alexandria, but it looks like the Angolans are also keen to organise it. It would be historic if we were able to organise it here in Alexandria because playing the Angolan national team or their clubs in Angola is very hard for any opponent."

What next for Smouha SC? I followed it up.

"Given that we lost to Al Ahly in the playoffs last week, we won't have many games to play until the FINAL FOUR. So my plan is to play two preparation games against REG Basketball in Rwanda. They are a very good team, and I enjoyed watching them play in the Group Phase," Elsayed explained.

JS Kairouan (Tunisia)

JS Kairouan head to the Last Four with a 4-1 mark, including two incredible wins against Tunisia champions Etoile Sportive de Rades (142-140 on aggregate), a success that has boosted the team's morale moving forward.

Even though JS Kairouan lost to Africa reigning champions AS Sale (77-70) in the Group Phase last month, they believe they can do better in the Last Four.

"It looks like we are going to play AS Sale in the Semifinals," JS Kairouan head coach Riadh Ben Abdallah told me. "No disrespect to AS Sale, but I believe in my players. We now know that we can beat them. 

JS Kairouan head coach Riadh Ben Abdallah

"We have a young team, we trust each other. These two factors have been key to us. I truly believe that we can reach the FINAL FOUR final."

I asked coach Abdallah, who guided his country at FIBA Women's AfroBasket 2017, to describe his team's playing style.

"We are a young team. Malick Nguirane, who began his career in Spain, is only 25. Jawhar Jawadi is only 21. So, we are a fearless young team willing to win it all. If FIBA Africa rules allow us to, we are planning on adding Radhouane Slimane [Tunisia international] for the FINAL FOUR.

Primeiro D'Agosto (Angola)

The Angolan champions last won a continental trophy back in 2013, and they have never hidden their intentions of reclaiming the continental trophy.

D'Agosto head to the Last Four with a remarkable 5-0 record, as head coach Paulo Macedo - a former Olympian - said to me:

 Paulo Macedo (Primeiro D'Agosto)

"The objective is to bring the Cup to Angola. The club made a number of investments, and we are focused on winning the title," noted the man who guided the Angolan Army-funded club to their last continental trophy six years ago.

Association Sportive Sale (Morocco)

As one of the three undefeated teams heading to the FINAL FOUR, Morocco champions Association Sportive Sale have an experienced group of players capable of defending the African crown they claimed back in 2017.

None better than AS Sale head coach Zeljko Zecevic to explain how the continent reigning champions plan to approach the Last Four.  

"I am happy to see these four teams in the finals. I am sure it will be huge basketball party across the continent of Africa. As reigning African champions, we are not feeling any sort of pressure," the Serbia play-caller told me.

Zeljko Zecevic (AS Sale)

"The only thing we care right now is to try and repeat all beautiful things we achieved last season. We want to rise about ourselves," he added.

"As we await for the FINAL FOUR schedule, we are focused on the Moroccan Championship as well as the Semi-Finals of the Cup of the King. 

The former Egypt head coach went on saying: "We have a competitive team that can compete against any team in Africa, we'll try to beat all our opponents and win the African Cup for the second time in a row. This is our goal, we'll be working to make this wish a reality. "

When I asked him to analyse the four teams, Zecevic noted: "I can say that Smouha SC had merit to reach the Last Four. It's not easy to beat Al Ahly twice in a row. They played quality basketball." 

AS Sale beat JS Kairouan 77-70 in the Group Phase in Sale, Morocco

He continue: "I believe I am not the only one to say that JS Kairouan's qualification was the biggest surprise in the entire competition so far. I know ES Rades so well, that I believed that they were favourites to win the tournament. But JS Kairouan presented a good game also, and deserve to be where they are now. I am happy for them. As for D'Agosto they are  clearly the favourites to lift the trophy."

Julio Chitunda
FIBA 

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