KIGALI (Rwanda) - Democratic Republic of Congo have produced a great number of talented players over the years with sixth place at the FIBA AfroBasket 2017 being their best finish on the continental stage.

They have since followed that up by winning the inaugural FIBA AfroCan 2019 in Mali - a tournament for players based on the African continent. Their growth curve is on the upward trend and things are starting to come together. 

With the arrival of well-travelled Norwegian tactician Mathias Eckhoff formerly with powerhouses Nigeria and Angola, the Congolese are looking to maximize their potential and build a lasting basketball tradition. 

In conversation with FIBA.basketball, DR Congo captain Ruphin Kayembe said, "We are a new group of players on this team and we want to build something solid. We are working towards taking our country to the next level. We know what it requires to get there and we have these conversations everyday as a team."

"Being here and representing our country is an absolute honor and we are doing everything possible to fight for our people back home. We have the talent. This has never been a problem for us but now we must be patient with the rebuilding process. We have a new coach and we are learning his philosophy." 

 
Kayembe believes DR Congo is on the right track

With several players plying their trade overseas, the exposure to high level basketball week in, week out is a thing of consistency that comes in handy when they converge at the national team level. 

The thirst for success has drawn in everyone and all the players understand that their commitment to this cause is as important as equally putting in the hard work. 

"DR Congo is a sleeping giant of Africa. The amount of talent here is incredible. All we need to do now is to be more organized and to prepare very well for tournaments. This will help us to have a structure as a team and to build chemistry among the players. That will go a long way in helping us achieve our objective," explained head coach Mathias Eckhoff in detail. 

Eckhoff has coached Nigeria and Angola in the past 

DR Congo have a 1-1 win ratio so far having beaten Central African Republic 55-51 on Friday before losing to the reigning African champions Tunisia 61-50 but Kayembe is quick to say that the learning process continues. 

DR Congo had no answers for Tunisia's defense on Saturday

"We have to regroup after this game and prepare for our next one against Madagascar on Sunday while maintaining our new style. We have to address how we approach a zonal defense and use our size to our advantage," Kayembe said. 

According to him, DR Congo's main objective is to return to the AfroBasket next year while adapting to falling back for defense a little faster than they are right now and minimizing on their forced turnovers. 

FIBA