Morocco looking to replicate 1965 success

RABAT (FIBA AfroBasket 2017) - In the lead-up to the FIBA AfroBasket 2017 to be co-hosted by Senegal and Tunisia, we take a closer look at all 16 participating teams competing in the championship running from September 8-16.

Team: Morocco
NIKE FIBA World Ranking: 60th
Last participation at FIBA AfroBasket: 2015 (1 win, 4 losses) 13th-place 
Best results in the history of FIBA AfroBasket: African Champions in 1965; Runners-up in 1964, 1968, Third-Place in 1980 as tournament hosts.
Qualified for FIBA AfroBasket 2017:  As runners-up to Tunisia at FIBA Africa Zone 1 qualifiers. 

History/Qualification: Although Morocco have hosted the tournament on four occasions (1964, 1968, 1980 and 2001), they needed to travel to Tunisia to claim their only African Championship title in 1965.

And, it's been almost forty years since Morocco last finished on the podium. At the time, as hosts of the 1980 edition of the African Championship beat neighboring Algeria 97-83 in their capital of Rabat to finish in Third-Place. 

While Algeria and Tunisia have dominated the game in the region for the last two decades, Morocco became regulars at FIBA AfroBasket with nine appearances dating back to 1987.

Morocco have qualified for the FIBA AfroBasket 2017 after finishing runners-up to Tunisia. They returned with a 2-2 record thanks to two wins over hosts Algeria.

However, what makes this Morocco team unique is clearly their levels of competitiveness and tenacity. Although Morocco finished in 13th-Place two years ago, they proved to be so competitive that they almost shocked hosts Tunisia in the Round of 16 in what has been described as 'the game of the tournament.'

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if Morocco can replicate local clubs' success at continental level. Both Association Sportive Sale and AS FAR have made a tremendous noise in the last two editions of the FIBA Africa Champions Cup (2015 and 2016), finishing in Third-Place.

Coincidently, both local clubs consisted of Moroccan internationals.  

Can they replicate their local clubs' success at FIBA AfroBasket 2017? It's possible. Let's wait and see.

Key players: Abdelhakim Zouita, Sofiane Kourdou, Mustapha Khalfi and Abderrahim Najah have become emblematic for Morocco in recent years. They have played together so many games at the national team level as well as at clubs competitions that the quartet is often described by observers as the backbone of the Moroccan national team.

Rising Star: Reda Harras is only 23 years of age but he is already set to play at his fourth straight FIBA AfroBasket. 

Outlook: Morocco may sit 60th in the NIKE FIBA World Ranking (10th in Africa), but they have recently earned respect from continental rivals Angola and the Central African Republic - two of their Group B opponents - along with Uganda. 

Possible Outcome:  Group B is arguably one of the toughest in the entire FIBA AfroBasket 2017. Now, if Morocco are to advance to the Quarter-Finals in Tunis, it's down their consistency, which has undermined their continental aspirations in recent years.  

FIBA