ANG/EGY - Angola and Egypt battle for AfroBasket 2013 gold

ABIDJAN (AfroBasket/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Exactly one year to the start of the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, Angola could not have made a bigger statement of their intentions at AfroBasket 2013 following a convincing 66-59 Semi-Final win over hosts Cote d'Ivoire in front of thousands of home fans at a sellout Palais des Sports Treichville in Abidjan.

With a World Cup place secured, the Angolans will square off against Egypt in the AfroBasket Final on Saturday.

Angola reached the championship game unbeaten in six games, and when they step out on floor with the title on the line, they will be playing their 10th AfroBasket final since 1993.

However, for Egypt to reach the Final following a win-less three game run in the Preliminary Round, means they are not a team to be taken lightly.

The Pharaohs had an inverted pyramid improvement in the tournament and Angola's pair of Armando Costa and Joaquim Gomes know what it takes to face a highly-motivated team in an AfroBasket Final.

They both featured for the Angolan team that lost the AfroBasket 2011 title game in Madagascar.

Costa told FIBA.com minutes after their win over the Cote d’Ivoire that there is a long way to go.

"We reached our first objective, but we haven't won anything yet," he warned.

"All we have to do now is to calm down because we have a big game to play on Saturday."

Gomes followed suit: "The celebration is already over, we must get ready for the big Final.

"We need the same attitude for the Egypt's game.”

Egypt will be playing their first Afrobasket Final since 1993 when they lost to Angola in Nairobi, Kenya.

Angola and Egypt are old rivals that dominated African basketball at different moments of their basketball history.

Curiously, Angola's 10 African titles began exactly with an AfroBasket win against Egypt in 1989 in Angola's capital of Luanda.

Since then, Egypt have been unable to beat Angola in AfroBasket competition, although anything could happen for this Egyptian team, especially because of their huge motivation and desire of offering some comfort to the battling and inspiring people of Egypt as their players have said.

Egypt's Assem Marei spoke to FIBA.com of their outstanding performance in the tournament and the prospect of playing in the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

"It is a dream come true. I think we deserved it so much. Our team averaged 24 years of age,” he said.

"For me, I am 22, I only can say it is dream.

"I just hussle for every ball. I am here just to play my game.

"There is not a star in our team, we just play as team. This is how we want to continue in the final."

And Marei did not forget to send a message to the Egyptian people who have been experiencing a political turmoil: "Just stay strong," he said.

FIBA