AfroBasket Women 2015 - Team Profile: Egypt

CAIRO (AfroBasket Women 2015) - In the lead-up to AfroBasket Women 2015, we take a closer look at all 12 participating teams competing in the championship running from 24 September-3 October in Yaounde, Cameroon.

Team: Egypt
FIBA Ranking Women: 69th
Last participation at AfroBasket Women: 2013 (2 wins, 6 defeats; 8th place)
Best result in the history of AfroBasket Women: Africa Champions in 1966 and 1968
Qualified for AfroBasket Women 2015: awarded a wild card

History/Qualification: Egypt won the first two editions of the AfroBasket Women which took place respectively in 1966 and 1968.

In addition to these two titles, Egypt also clinched two second place finish in 1970 and 1977.

Back in 1974, the “Pharaohs” earned a bronze medal in Tunis to have a total of 5.

Since that glorious period, and despite their good performance at youth tournaments, Egypt are struggling to make a comeback among the Africa Powerhouse.

Two years ago, they return to Africa’s biggest women’s basketball tournament and finish eighth.

For this year’s event, the team failed to secure qualification in their FIBA Africa Zone V Qualifier held last summer in Kampala, Uganda.

The Egyptians who received a Wild Card to take part in Yaounde 2015, will battle to improve their image.

That will not be an easy task considering their opponents in group B including Angola, Guinea, Egypt, Algeria,Nigeria and Senegal.

Key players: The team will certainly rely on Menatalla Awad as she had pivotal role with 12.8 points per game back in 2013.

She will be with Reem Osama, - who also performed well in Maputo, averaging 11.9 points - the backbone of the team.

Rising star:  Raneem Elgedawy sparked Egypt at AfroBasket U18 Women, in Cairo, Egypt with the tournament-high13.9 rebounds.

In July, averaged 18points and 8.9rebounds at 2015 U19 FIBA Women's World Championship in Russia.

Outlook: Egypt will enter the tournament with young talented players and have set as target to reach the AfroBasket Women podium for the first time since 1977.

Possible Outcome: The team could likely win two games.

FIBA