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Transcript/ScriptAS SALÉ- MOROCCO
((INTRO))
The Sports Association of the Moroccan city of Salé, abbreviated as AS Salé, basketball version, plays in the first division in the national championship and has been at the top for several years. The club has won several titles in Morocco and its exploits even go beyond the borders. It is also one of the 12 teams, from 12 African countries, selected to take part in the Basketball Africa League which will begin on March 5 in Dakar. Emmanuel Moadjidibaye introduces us to this team through his report.
((NARRATOR))
It is impossible to talk about basketball in Morocco without mentioning the Association Sportive de Salé. To face the Basketball Africa League which is on the horizon, the team is entrusted to this Australian lady, Liz Mills. And it's a first in Morocco: a woman at the head of a first division men's team. Mills is also the very first woman to have coached a men's basketball team in Africa. She led the Kenyan national team to the AfroBasket finals in 2021 - for the first time in 28 years. She now has 11 years of experience. She has confidence AS Salé, and believes the team will be triumphant.
SOT – 1 - Liz Mills, Coach of AS Salé (English, 23 s)
“The strength of this team is the experience. I believe we have the best team in Africa and these players have enough experience to overcome the opponents. This is very important and we will be able to create a new generation with young Moroccan players who will be able to reveal their talent in competition. »
((NARRATOR))
They train from Monday to Friday for at least 2 hours in collective sessions and regularly play matches against other teams. Allal is part of this new generation on whom the club relies. He has been playing for AS Salé for two years now and knows exactly where the team will draw its strength from to face the next competition.
SOT-2- Chams-Eddine Allal, Wingman (French, 16 s)
“Our strengths are the Coach who gives us the instructions, the team who plays with heart, and we play to win. That's why we always play to win. Without forgetting the effort of the president and all the guys behind the club. »
((NARRATOR))
And the management team, which wants to go even further with its club, does not skimp on the means. Abderraouf Bentaleb, its deputy president, sets out the new vision that will allow AS Salé to always maintain a good level.
SOT- 3- Abderraouf Bentaleb, Deputy President of AS Salé (Arabic, 30 s)
“We had a generation that had allowed us to win several titles and trophies in the past. Today it is necessary to renew the team, to rejuvenate it. We have therefore recruited 6 high-level players who are in the process of integrating and adapting to the style developed in the team thanks to participation in tournaments and taking into account the fact that we are a big club which plays to win titles. And that is our vision for the moment »
((NARRATOR))
Harouna is one of these new recruits. He is of Nigerian origin and was spotted during the first edition of the Basketball Africa League which took place in Rwanda. He was then playing with a Cameroonian club against AS Salé. Today, he admits that he feels good in this new family and hopes for better results thanks to the Liz Mills training regimen.
SOT- 4 - Abdoulaye Harouna, Leader (French, 28 s)
“As Coach Liz said, it's preparation. You have to be ready in every possible detail, whether it's taking care of your body, preparing yourself physically for the weight room, coming an hour or two before and trying to train, watching the films of the other teams, knowing the players, game systems, strength of other coaches, weaknesses of other teams. it is the preparation. You have to invest everything there and go and that's it. Afterwards you have to live with the result »
((NARRATOR))
Alvaro Massa is Spanish. He recently joined AS Salé after having been champion several times in Mozambique. And he is also confident in his teammates abilities and skills.
SOT- 5 - Alvaro Massa, Winger (English, 23 s)
“I think we have a versatile team, we have a lot of possibilities. We have defenders, shooters, people who can play one-on-one. It's going to be difficult to defend against us and the coach is really good, he's going to help us achieve our goals."
((NARRATOR))
Eight times Moroccan champion, eleven times winner of the throne cup, African club champion, Arab vice-champion of clubs, the Corsairs of Salé, as some supporters nicknamed them, will play 5 phase matches at Dakar in their group named Sahara Conference, from March 5 to 15, 2022.
Emmanuel MOADJIDIBAYE, for VOA Africa, Casablanca
((OUTRO))
The team from the Association Sportive de Salé will continue training diligently until their departure scheduled between March 2 and 3, 2022. Their first match will pit them against REG club of Rwanda. The basketball players hope not only to be part of the 4 best teams which will qualify for the play-offs of the tournament but to go even further to succeed the Egyptian club of Zamalek, defending champion of the previous edition.
