Algeria call up 16 players for first training camp ahead of AfroBasket 2015

ALGIERS (AfroBasket 2015) - Algeria will launch their preparations for AfroBasket 2015 on 20 June when a 16-player squad will come together for a camp in the country's capital of Algiers.

In the group are six players who featured at AfroBasket 2013. They are Mohamed Harat - the team's leading scorer and rebounder in Abidjan with averages of 14 points and 7.2 rebounds - Zaki Germat, Abdellah Hamdini, Omar Belliche, Abd Esselem Dekkiche and Hocine Gaham.

Salah Eddine Filali, the head coach who steered the team to a 12th-place finish two years ago, has also shortlisted 10 new players to strengthen the group.

Algeria failed to punch their ticket in Africa's biggest continental championship in their qualifier against Morocco but received a wild card to make their 16th appearance in the event.

Algeria though will head into the 16-team tournament taking place in Nabeul and Tunis, Tunisia from 19-30 August with high aspirations.

"We will give all our best and I think we have a great opportunity to show that we deserve to be in Tunisia and we can do better than 2013," Harat said to fiba.com.

The 1.98m forward allowed himself to dream big after Algeria received the wild card, saying: "Each player has a target and dreams to achieve it in each competition. And my dream is to help my country claim the AfroBasket title."

Algeria have been drawn in Group D alongside Cote d'Ivoire, Cape Verde and Zimbabwe.

The winner of AfroBasket 2015 will qualify automatically for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The teams that finish second and third will get another shot at achieving their Olympic dream by playing in the 12-team FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT).

Algeria preliminary squad for AfroBasket 2015: Ossama Aggoun, Omar Belliche, Ali Mounir Benabd Elhak, Seyyid Ahmed Bensalah, Mounir Benzegala, Mehdi Bermila, Hichem Cherki, Abd Esselem Dekkiche, Hocine Gaham, Touhami Ghezzoul, Zaki Guermat, Abdellah Hamdini, Mohamed Harat, Ramzi Merahi, Abderrahmane Yanise Mostefai, Mohamed Zerouali.

FIBA