Senegal announce final roster for FIBA Women's AfroBasket 2017

DAKAR (FIBA Women's AfroBasket 2017) - Eight players who helped Senegal claim the African title two years ago will return to defend the title in Mali next week.  

According to the Senegalese Basketball Federation, Tening Sabelle Diata, Maimouna Diarra, Oumou Toure, and Bineta Diouf have been left out of the final roster for the 12-team FIBA Women's AfroBasket 2017 set to take place in Bamako, Mali, from August 18-27.

Maimouna Diarra, who is currently playing for the WNBA Los Angeles Sparks, is the biggest absence from the team who beat hosts Cameroon in 2015 to win their twelfth African title.

Meanwhile, Senegal head coach Moustapha Gaye admitted to the local press that winning the trophy in 2015 was anything but easy. 

Now, they feel the obligation of defending their crown.

"As the reigning African champion, we have to defend our title," Gaye admitted. "We have to recognize that we won the title in 2015 after facing many adversities."

At the time, Senegal opened their 2015 African Championship in a slow mode, losing to Angola and Nigeria in the Group Phase.

However, they stepped up when it mattered most in the Final Phase, where they outplayed hosts Cameroon to secure the only ticket for African teams for the 2016 Rio Olympics. 

"Angola will come back strong to take revenge. Nigeria are preparing to become champions, and Mali play at home. We are going to Bamako knowing that there are six teams who aspire to be African champions each," Gaye said.

Senegal have been drawn in Group B along with Egypt, Mozambique, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea.

FIBA