2023-12-24 01:26:48
Dakar, Dec 23 (APS) – The new coach of the Lionesses of basketball, the Spaniard Alberto Antuña Leal, wants to give a ”new playing identity” to the Senegal team which, according to him, has ”enormous potential ”.
Alberto Antuño Leal was named coach of the Lionesses of Basketball on November 8, replacing Moustapha Gaye at the head of the women’s basketball team, reigning African vice-champion.
On a two-day visit to Dakar, the Spanish technician met the technical staff of the national team and the Senegalese press.
”My goal is to give a new playing identity to the women’s national basketball team. I agreed to lead this team because I am convinced of its potential,” he said.
”I followed this team during the 2023 women’s Afrobasket in Kigali (Rwanda), during the group stage match once morest Uganda won by Senegal (85-83) and I was fascinated by the huge potential she has,” admitted the former Uganda coach.
The Spanish coach said at that moment he was convinced that he might achieve “good results” with Senegal if he was given the reins of the team.
”It’s an honor for me to lead this team which is one of the twenty best in the world,” he said.
Asked regarding the FIBA 2024 Olympic qualifying tournaments, Alberto Antuña Leal wants to be reassuring and believes that Senegal ”has every chance of qualifying despite being in a difficult group”.
Senegal will play the USA (reigning world champion), Belgium (quarter-finalist at the last world championship) who will host this tournament and Nigeria, four-time reigning African champion.
The matches will be played from February 8 to 11, 2024.
”It’s a difficult group. We will go to Belgium to win, not to go sightseeing,” reassured the former coach of the Montenegro women’s team.
MYK /SK/MTN
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