Camerooon basketball club Fap ready to shine on African stage
Cameroon basketball club ready to compete
JOHANNESBURG, May 11 (ANA) – Forces Armees et Police (Fap) Basketball club have not achieved the kind of success of other Cameroon teams like BEAC and Nzuimanto, but the tide may just be changing according to Fap skipper Ebaku Akumenzoh.
Akumenzoh told FIBA.basketball ahead of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) which will be staged in Kigali, Rwanda from Sunday to May 30: “It’s a dream come true. Every competitor wants to play against the best. If you’re good, you only get better playing tougher sides and if you want to be considered amongst the greats, you have to beat the best.”
The 32-year old forward has been on the books of Fap for nine years during two stints, and he understand the importance of producing the goods.
“We are up against some very serious teams in our group but we have a really good roster with some young players who will be debuting on the international scene and they want to impress.
“For us, this is something good. The atmosphere within the team is wonderful and when I talk to the others, I can feel there’s a determination to do something big at the BAL.
“Obviously for some of the players this is new but we’re grateful that we have an experienced backroom staff with Lazare Adingono who’s coached and won silverware at the high level and he’s giving us tips on how to tackle this sort of competition.”
Akumenzoh, who works as a social worker and collects data for Cameroon’s Institute of Statistics when he’s not on the court, understands the trophy cabinet of their Group B foes Association Sportive Sale, Petro of Luanda and Association Sportive Police speaks of their pedigree on the continental scene.
While Fap, who haven’t been to a continental tournament in ages, will give away plenty in experience and mastery at this stage of the tournament, the players are more consumed with enacting performances that translate the strength of Cameroonian basketball.
“We are in the Bal to win games and get the best possible results,” Cedric Tsangue added.
The forward, who ranked sixth with the most points scored per game, as he hit 19.3 points and 4.5 rebounds during the BAL Qualifiers while on the books of Gabonese outfit Manga BB, is part of a quartet drafted in to reinforce Fap.
The 29-year-old Cameroon international has a grin on his face when he talks of the bond amongst the players.
“We have a wonderful group and that’s why I think we have the potential to conquer our group and go on to do something great.” – African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Michael Sherman