MLI - Perrin quits, Sissoko takes over Mali women's national team

BAMAKO (AfroBasket Women/FIBA World Championship Women) - A lot of changes have happened with Mali's women's national team in the past six years, and this summer will not be any different.

Three head coaches - Jose Ruiz, Herve Coudray and Michel Perrin - and a combination of professional and home-based players have featured for Mali in seven international competitions, including the 2008 Olympics.

The latest move confirmed to FIBA.com by the country's basketball federation was the appointment of home-based head coach Cheick Oumar Sissoko ('Yankee') who takes over from Frenchman Perrin for the 2013 AfroBasket Women to be staged in Maputo, Mozambique (20-29 September).

Perrin - who coached Mali at the 2012 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women in Turkey - confirmed to FIBA.com his decision to step down after deliberating on this summer's AfroBasket's schedule which overlaps with his coaching commitments in Switzerland.

Sissoko takes the helm of Mali with the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women in their sights.

If Mali finish in the top two of the AfroBasket Women, they will become one the two teams representing Africa in next year's world stage tournament in Turkey. The Malians made their debut in the competition back in 2010 in the Czech Republic.

In order to battle against their AfroBasket Group B opponents - Kenya, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Angola and Nigeria - Sissoko will need the services of Mali's foreign-based and professional players, although their clubs may have a word to say.

If no professionals join the team, then Sissoko will have to make the most of some members of the Mali U19 team competing at this month's (18-28 July) FIBA U19 World Championship for Women in Lithuania.

Although Mali remains Africa's highest placed team in the FIBA Ranking Women, they keep losing ground. They went from winning the 2007 AfroBasket to finishing runners-up two years later and had a disappointing third-place finish in front of their home fans two years ago.

Sissoko's homework is expected to start later this month when compete at the Francophone Games, in Bordeaux, France

FIBA