CGO - Congo to play for honour

ABIDJAN (AfroBasket/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - The Republic of Congo (CGO)'s men's national team may not be the best team on the African continent, but they cannot be blamed for being ambitious, as they aim to honour the Congolese basketball with whatever results they get at AfroBasket 2013 in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.

They describe themselves as a very young team with little experience to play at such high level, but with a great heart.

Just ask Giovan Oniangue, who plays for France's Pro A Paris-Levallois team, the meaning of representing a team that only returned to AfroBasket competition four years ago after a 24-year absence, and the answer is what defines their presence in the tournament.

"This is a great opportunity to show people around the world that Congolese can play good basketball," he told FIBA.com.

It will be a tough campaign for Serge Ibaka's countrymen, who will take on African giants Nigeria, Cameroon and Mali in Group D.

Unlike their original plans, CGO only managed to recruit four France-based players, but this does not demoralise Oniangue who acknowledges the hard task in Abidjan and promises to inspire his teammates to play their best "to honour" their "brothers and sisters."

Nobel Boungou Colo, who plays for French Pro A side Limoges, is one of the missing players that head coach Louis Tsoungui would love to have in the team, but they will have to move on with the good ones available and "honour the colours of (Republic of) Congo," the 46-year-old coach explained to FIBA.com.

CGO's most successful result in AfroBasket competition was a sixth-place finish in 1975. Despite their modest record, both Oniangue and Tsoungui believe they can stun African big names and dream of the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

"Why not thinking to qualify for the Quarter-Finals and wait to see what happens after that?" Tsoungui asked.

"We acknowledge that both Cameroon and Nigeria are tough teams, but we are going to play without any fear."

The Cameroon-Congo affair

When CGO take on Cameroon, the game will be more than two teams trying to progress in the competition. It will be a brotherhood game.

Tsoungui was born in France to a French mother and Cameroonian father, and he identifies himself as Cameroonian.

Oniangue is good friend with Cameroon's Luc Mbah a Moute who started his basketball career at Tsoungui's Onix Basketball Academy in Yaounde.

Tsoungui, who retired from playing professional basketball in 2001, says it's not very often that you get to play against players to whom you taught their first basketball steps.

He is "very proud with his (Mbah a Moute's) NBA career," especially because at Onix Basketball Academy, the aim is to see young players "become respectable men in Africa."

Only will time tell if CGO's big heart can overcome their opponents.

FIBA