ANG – Looking to finish on top

LUANDA (Afrobasket/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - The Angolan men aren’t going to hit the panic button, despite a frustrating couple of summers in international competition.

Angola travelled to Madagascar to compete at Afrobasket 2011 with a full head of steam, winners of 10 of the previous 11 African titles dating back to 1989 and fresh off an appearance at the FIBA World Championship where the team advanced to the Eight-Finals.

After a tournament-opening, 115-56 rout of Chad in Antananarivo, though, everything went awry.

Angola fell 85-78 to Senegal and midway through the tournament, the federation removed Frenchman Michel Gomez as coach and promoted his assistant, Jaime Covilha, to the top job.

The Angolans came from behind in the Quarter-Finals and beat Cameroon in overtime, 84-83, and then defeated Nigeria, 76-68.

But Tunisia outshone the Angolans in the gold-medal game, winning 67-56, to clinch a place at the London Games.

Then, following the appointment of José Carlos Guimaraes as coach, Angola played at the 2012 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Caracas, Venezuela.

The Africans overcame The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (MKD), only to then lose to New Zealand and Russia to miss out on the London Games.

Change has happened in Angola, most notably at the helm of the country's basketball federation where Paulo Madeira was elected president in December.

A good preparation will be key for Angola as they gear up for the Afrobasket, which is to be held in Cote d'Ivoire this summer.

Which teams Angola will face in warm-up games?

Madeira has pledged: "We will initiate contacts with strong teams to test our capabilities."

As for the national team's chances of getting back to the top of the Afrobasket podium, the president said: "I believe we will win."

Competition will be fierce in Cote d'Ivoire, with the host nation hoping to ride its home-court advantage to the title.

Tunisia will go into the event full of determination, looking to claim a second straight gold medal.

The Tunisians' center Salah Mejri, the MVP of Afrobasket 2011, signed for Blusens Monbus (Obradoiro C.A.B.) in Spain's Liga Endesa after playing at the Olympics and has been a big hit.

Another team has the full attention of Madeira as well.

Nigeria made it successfully through the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament to play in London and will travel to Cote d’Ivoire intent on capturing gold.

Madeira said that national team "has evolved considerably. We have to be more attentive to Nigeria."

FIBA