CAIRO (Egypt) - The Pharaohs last reigned over African basketball 43 years ago.
However, in recent FIBA AfroBasket tournaments, Egypt has gone from being a contender to fading into obscurity.
It will be interesting to see if the once mighty Egypt can emerge from its tomb and become the conquerors of African basketball again at the 31st AfroBasket in Angola from August 12-24.
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Key Players
The Egyptians have a talented generation of players. Assem Marei, the 2025 Basketball Africa League winner and 2013 AfroBasket All-Star who last played for Egypt at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, could be a vital asset for his country.
The Pharaohs would love to have him in the paint. However, a family commitment may prevent him from playing for the Pharaohs at the AfroBasket tournament.
Patrick Gardner's strong outside game and ability to get to the rim will always make him a threat for Egypt at the tournament in Angola.
During the AfroBasket qualifiers, Gardner averaged 14.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in the three games he played.
Al Ittihad centre Anas Mahmoud offers frontcourt depth for Egypt.
Mahmoud is known for rebounding and shot blocking throughout his career. His numbers during the AfroBasket Qualifiers were 7.8 rebounds per game and 1.7 blocks per game, demonstrating his quality.
Veteran guard Amr El Gendy, who has played in five AfroBaskets, is a crafty point guard, and his years of experience and ability to control the game's flow could help Egypt's trophy aspirations. El Gendy's backcourt teammate, Ehab Amin, can score at will, and his ability to rebound the ball at both ends of the court offers Egypt the opportunity to score in transition, second-chance points or reset their offence.
Coaching staff
Mohamed Mounir El-Kerdany is the man leading the Egyptian team.
He took over in the second round of the qualifiers, replacing German coach Henrik Rodl.
El-Kerdany is the team's third coach since Roy Rana resigned after the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Under El-Kerdany's leadership, Egypt finished 1-2 in the second round of the qualifiers.
As a player, El-Kerdany represented Egypt in two editions of AfroBasket: in Angola in 2007 and in Madagascar in 2011. In the 2011 tournament, he was teammates with Assem Marei and Amr El Gendy.
Mohamed Mounir El-Kerdany coached US Monastir in the 2024 edition of the BAL.
Outlook
While their 3-3 record during the qualifiers will not raise hopes, the Egyptian players will not count themselves out.
They are in a tough Group D with former champions Senegal, a plucky Mali team and a Uganda side that can cause an upset.
FIBA