YAOUNDE (Cameroon) - Angola will taste action on Sunday against Mozambique in their Group B opener of the 26th FIBA Women's AfroBasket at the Palais Polyvalent des Sports in Yaounde, Cameroon with a view of eyeing a top group which will guarantee direct Quarter-Finals qualification.

And to achieve this lofty task the two-time African champions (2011 and 2013) must be prepared to go past Mozambique and defending champion Nigeria.

How much they prepared to achieve the goal was responded to in an affirmative manner by the team mercurial combo guard, Italee Lucas.

"We are much prepared to have a good outing here in Cameroon as we are ready to challenge for a podium finish," Lucas told FIBA.basketball.

 
Ask further how they plan to achieve the set-goal, she replied: "I am not being boastful but with due respect to other teams, we are a team with mixed blend of experienced and enterprising young players who have grown in confidence and matured in the game."

The 32-year-old who averaged 12.3 points, 4 rebounds and 4.2 assists at the 2019 edition of the Championship gave kudos to FIBA Africa Region on the new competition format which gives all twelve teams an opportunity of a second chance of getting into the knock -out stage which she described as good one.

The multiple award winner, in a career which has seen her develop into a motivation of sort to younger players, congratulated FIBA Africa Region for attaining the platinum years.

Italee Lucas

She applauded the tremendous growth of women basketball in Africa a situation she attributed to concise effort by most African countries to continue to give room for improvement in all areas of the game.

Italee, who made her Angolan national team debut in the 2017 edition of Women's AfroBasket, was drafted by the Tulsa Shock in the second round and 21st pick in the 2011 WNBA season. She has recently put pen to paper for Egyptian giant Al Ahly for the 2021/2022 SuperLeague.

FIBA