Mali's Djambo: "We will make the most of experience of playing at home". #Steemitsports
#afrobasketball 2018 #basketball #3on3 #minds #music #sports #fiba Mali's Djambo: "We will make the most of experience of playing at home". NABEUL (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 African Qualifiers) - Mali's Ibrahim Djambo is confident the first-leg of Group B in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 African Qualifiers later this month will be an exhilarating experience for many.
Players, fans, basketball shareholders and officials - all seem excited to see Mali take on Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uganda from February 23-25 in Mali's capital of Bamako, as they bid to secure their place in the 12-team second round of the African Qualifiers. At stake in the African Qualifiers are five tickets to reach the first-ever 32-team FIBA Basketball World Cup taking place in China from August 31-September 15, 2019.
"Fans reach me on my social media platforms, they speak to my family in Mali. They all want to find out if I am going to play for the national team, and, yes, I will be there," Djambo revealed to FIBA.basketball.
"I have asked our new head coach [Remi Giuitta] as well as the [Mali Basketball] Federation for a permission to join the national team on February 18 because I have a game on 17, which is the day our team starts preparations for the World Cup Qualifiers," explained the 6ft 10in (2.08m) forward who currently plays for Tunisian side Stade Nabeulien.
The event marks Mali's first appearance on home soil since March of last year, when they hosted the first-leg of the FIBA Africa Zone 2 Qualifiers for FIBA AfroBasket 2017.
At the time, Mali conceded an unexpected defeat against a little-known Guinea team but then fought back to beat both Cape Verde and Senegal and, as a result, advanced to Africa's top basketball tournament co-hosted by Tunisia and Senegal last September. Djambo warned the hosts cannot afford to take anyone lightly.
"We can't overlook our opponents just because we play at home. Anybody can beat anybody on our group. Nigeria is a talented team, but we'll be ready for them this time," noted the 25-year-old who finished with a game-high 24 points in a 90-67 defeat to then-African champions Nigeria at FIBA AfroBasket 2017.
"We can't underestimate Uganda or Rwanda because this is a great competition with 16 good teams."
Asked if he and his teammates would feel a pressure from home fans, Djambo replied: "Not at all, we take it as an advantage. Our fans are enthusiastic and we will do everything we can to avoid disappointing them. We are a basketball-loving country and we'll make the most of the experience of playing at home."
What exactly is Mali's ultimate goal in the African Qualifiers?
"We've never had a bigger opportunity to try and qualify for a World Cup, and my generation is chasing something big for Mali basketball," Djambo replied.
"I have been in contact with a number of Mali players who last played for the national team three years ago, and most of them are keen to come and help us qualify for the World Cup."
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