Bayang getting ready for Cameroon's third attempt to reach Olympics

CASABLANCA (AfroBasket 2015) - Christian Bayang feels this year's edition of AfroBasket comes at the right time for his Cameroon national team because they are more experienced than ever before.

AfroBasket 2015 will take place in the Tunisian cities of Nabeul and Tunis from 19 to 30 August and the 28-year-old shooting guard - who has not missed a continental competition for his country since 2007 - is part of a 26-player preliminary squad announced on Saturday by the Cameroon Basketball Federation for a training camp in July.

The list blends Cameroonians based all over the world.

Five of them are home-based, seven play college basketball in the USA, one is an NBA player, another is based in Argentine and one plies his trade in Thailand.

But a significant portion play in Europe.

This all makes for a lot of experience, says Bayang, who saw his team Chabab Rif Al Hoceima (CRA) lose to IRT Tanger in the semifinal of Morocco's national championship over the weekend.

"This is a very good group of players," he said to FIBA.com. "It is a combination of experienced and young players. If the preparations go as planned, then we have big chances in Tunisia.

"I am currently resting and trying to get ready for the national team."

One of the highlights in Cameroon's preliminary squad for AfroBasket 2015 is the return of Parfait Bitee, who sat out the last AfroBasket due to a health condition.

"If Bitee is healthy, I am sure he can make an impact at the guard position," Bayang said.

Cameroon are yet to improve on their second-place finish at AfroBasket 2007.

Two years ago, they opened their Preliminary Round with wins over the Republic of Congo and Mali, but a 71-56 defeat to the hosts Cote d'Ivoire in the Quarter-Finals ended their attempt to qualify for the first time ever to the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Cameroon went on to eventually finish fifth in the 16-team tournament.

After failing to qualify to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and another setback in 2011 when they attempted to book a place for the London Games, Bayang says it is highly-inspiring to be competing for a spot in Rio next year.

"Now it is different. We have the potential and thinking about the prospect of playing the Rio Olympics makes me - and I am sure this applies to some of national teammates - highly motivated. We want to try the Olympics," he said.

[The] AfroBasket is a tough competition. If you want to win AfroBasket you have to treat every game seriously. - Bayang

Cameroon have been drawn in Group C with Egypt, Gabon and Mali.

Bayang has mixed impressions of their Group stages opponents.

"We beat Mali two years ago in Abidjan. It was difficult even though they didn't play at full potential.

"I can't say much about Gabon because they are new to AfroBasket.

"Egypt is the sort of team that you never know what to expect from them. They surprise everyone in AfroBasket two years ago, and we are going to need be focused to beat them."

Cameroon preliminary squad for training camp ahead of AfroBasket 2015: Zaki Aboubaka, Arnaud Adala Moto, Christian Bayang, Engelbert Beleck, Parfait Bitee, Felix Bogmis, Fredericks Elombi, Gaston Essengue, Essengue Gaston, Michel Ipouck, Stephane Kamagou, Kenny Kadji, Chris Kuete, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Blaise Mbagorba, Junior Mbida, Steve Moundou Missi, Harding Nana, Landry Nnoko, Hans Ntamack, Jeremy Nzeulie, Gedeon Pitard, Taku Sama, Njoya Seoud Njimoluh, Boris Siakam, Jame Siakam, Franck Tchoubaye Bakala.

FIBA