TUN - Team of 12 Mejris, as MVP epitomises Tunisia spirit

ANTANANARIVO (Afrobasket) - "This is the most beautiful day of the life: August 28th 2011, I will remember this date all my life."

Tunisia's incredibly feat could be introduced by the surreal scoreline, the all-revealing statistics or by a detailed account of the dying seconds of the gold medal game; but these words by MVP Salah Mejri sum up their Afrobasket perfectly.

The North Africans were never among the favourites in this Championship. Quietly, they went about their business and attention was really only paid to them as they dismissed Ivory Coast in their Semi Final, booking a place in the gold medal game still unbeaten.

And yet Angola remained favourites for the final; favourites to book their place in the Olympics yet again as Africa's top representative.

Mejri's words sum up Tunisia's emotions and his play sums up that of his team. Not his team's top scorer, barely making it into the top fifty, his game is just as much about working for others; something the Tunisians were arguably better than anyone else at.

They led from Hadidane's score opening three-pointer in the 47th second, building up a steady lead from the end of the first quarter (11 points) and found themselves 20 ahead midway through the second quarter.

From there it was about continuing doing the same things right, and not thinking about the fact they were about to do something no team had done since 1997; reclaim gold off the mighty Angolans.

Every time Angola threatened a history-backed comeback - they clawed back to less than ten  - the Tunisians tightened up at the back, and found sufficient points to disrupt the Angolans' fight-back.

Mejri epitomised that spirit as his 15 rebounds suggest.

He didn't mastermind Tunisia's win, he wasn't their only performer. He was the unknown soldier, a potent symbol of what the eleven other members of Tunisia's team had were also: heroes.

FIBA