New Cape Verde coach Magalhaes selects 20-player preliminary squad
PRAIA (AfroBasket 2015) - Luis Magalhaes has been confirmed as the head coach of Cape Verde for AfroBasket 2015.
PRAIA (AfroBasket 2015) - Luis Magalhaes has been confirmed as the head coach of Cape Verde for AfroBasket 2015.
The Mozambique-born Portuguese tactician has replaced Nigerian Alex Nwora, who coached the islanders at AfroBasket 2013.
Former Cape Verde international Rodrigo Mascarenhas, who served as interim coach during the qualifiers against Guinea, and former Portugal international Alexandre Pires, will serve as Magalhaes' assistants.
Magalhaes, who collected a number of trophies at club level in Portugal, and continued his success in Africa, guided the Angolans to the AfroBasket 2009 title in Libya.
He later led the Africans to the 2010 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Turkey, but parted ways with the team after a modest world championship campaign, which resulted in two wins in six games.
In his first action at the helm of Cape Verde, Magalhaes and the country's Basketball Federation on Monday announced a 20-player preliminary squad, although the schedule of the training camp is yet to be confirmed.
Luis Magalhaes confirmed as #CapeVerde head coach, Mario Correia @Bulimundo set to return for #AfroBasket2015 pic.twitter.com/Bnn8pOgugx
— Júlio Chitunda (@JChitunda) June 15, 2015
A number of high profile players such as Jeff Xavier, Mario Correia, Walter Tavares, former NBA player Ryan Gomes, Ivan Almeida and Pedro Cipriano, headline Magalhaes' preliminary squad.
Cape Verde may not be title contenders, but a closer look at the preliminary squad makes it clear how deep the team is.
They have good players at every position and calling them outsider may be an understatement.
Xavier, who plays for C.B Tizona in Spain’s LEB Oro league, headlined the 2009 edition of the African Championship after leading all scorers with 27.2 points per game although Cape Verde finished 13th in the 16-team tournament.
Correia, a 37-year-old point who has not missed an AfroBasket since 2007, has reconsidered his retirement from the national team and will reunite with his former coach at Angolan side Primeiro D’Agosto.
Correia and Magalhaes teamed up for two seasons at the Angolan outfit, winning one national league title as well as the 2010 edition of the African Champions Cup.
To battle near the basket, Magalhaes called up Tavares, a 2.20m center who was selected with the 43rd pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks but spent this past season with Gran Canaria in Spain's top flight ACB league.
Cape Verde's basketball officials and players alike have often made clear their intentions of improving on their third-place finish accomplished at AfroBasket 2007, which was their best result ever.
Two years ago in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, Cape Verde fell short after conceding a 74-73 Quarter-Final defeat to eventual finalists Egypt.
But beating a star-studded Nigeria team in the Classification Round gave hope to the islanders, specially after finishing sixth in that tournament.
At this year's 16-team tournament taking place in Tunis and Nabeul, Tunisia (19-30 August), Magalhaes and his team will take on Algeria, Cote d'Ivoire and Zimbabwe in Group D.
Cape Verde preliminary squad for AfroBasket 2015: Ivan Almeida, Joel Almeida, Pedro Cipriano, Dimitry Coronel, Kevin Coronel, Mario Correia, Shane Da Rosa, Paulo Dias, Braima Freire, Flavio Gomes, Keven Clay Gomes, Ryan Gomes, Adelvino Lima, Edvaldo Lopes, Admir Mendes, Fidel Mendonca, Brian Rudolph, Kenete Soares, Walter Tavares, Jeff Xavier.
FIBA