Can Rödl’s Olympic experience rub off on Egypt in qualifiers?
EGYPT has a storied basketball history, marked by their triumphs in the FIBA Africa Championships (AfroBasket). The country’s competitive domestic league, sports governance and top-notch facilities have made it a hub for the Basketball Africa League.
While their presence on the global stage is still growing, their performance at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, where they secured two wins out of five, was a promising start. They narrowly missed direct qualification to this year’s Paris Olympics after a close 88-86 loss to New Zealand at the World Cup.
To stamp the ticket to Paris, the Pharoahs must now journey through the Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, scheduled for Tuesday (2-7 July). Greece, one of four host countries of the qualifiers, is where Egypt will begin their quest to end a 36-year Olympic hiatus.
Leading the Pharoah’s hopes of a long-awaited appearance at the Games is German coach Henrick Rödl, who previously led his home country to the Tokyo Games. Rödl boasts an impressive CV as a player and coach, so the Egyptians will feel comfortable that their German mentor is well-equipped to lead the Pharaohs to success.
In an interview with The Big Tip-Off, Coach Rödl, an NCAA champion during his playing days at North Carolina University and a German Cup trophy as coach of ALBA Berlin, gave insights on Egypt’s team chemistry and their aspiration of making the Olympics.
Rödl was already coaching in Egypt when he took over from Roy Rana at the start of the year. The two had a history together as Rana served as Rödl’s assistant coach during the Tokyo Olympics.
“When I heard that the head coach position for the national team was open… It didn’t take me very long to decide. I know the people there and most of the players I have worked with. I feel very comfortable with the players and the staff,” said the former Al Ittihad Alexandria coach.
On the tactical side, his (Rödl) collaboration and shared philosophy with Rana made the transition into the national team smooth for Rodl. The German explained, “A lot of the stuff that I emphasize, they have already heard from coach Roy Rana. We have a very similar system, especially at the defensive end.”
To qualify for Paris, Rödl will bank on the synergy the players built through competing against one another over the years in domestic competition.
“I think that is the big advantage of this group… They are very familiar with each other. They know each other, they like each other, and they play well together,” Rödl said.
Preparation for the tournament, although brief due to varying season lengths, has been focused on reinforcing the team’s core fundamentals.
“Right now the first sessions have been about us trying to implement the base, offensively, defensively and just the ground rules. The fine-tuning has to come from playing,” explains Rödl.
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Egypt has played preparation games against Cameroon, Latvia and Georgia. Unfortunately, the Pharaohs went winless, going 0-3 in their fixtures. Reflecting on the loss against the Indomitable Lions, who notched a 78-74 victory, Rödl felt the friendly games were primarily about refining their base strategy, identifying areas for improvement, and adapting to different opponents.
“Cameroon was a tough opponent for our first game. They are a strong, athletic team that plays hard defensively. This made it difficult for some of our players to get into their offence. This is the kind of challenge we can expect in the qualifiers,” said Rödl. “Transitioning from practice to a game is never flawless, but it’s not supposed to be. It’s a time to identify the areas that need work.”
Looking ahead to Greece, Group B presents a formidable challenge for Egypt, with matchups against Greece and the Dominican Republic. The top two teams advance to the next round to face the top two from Group A, which includes Croatia, New Zealand, and Slovenia.
Despite Egypt being underdogs, a situation familiar to Rödl, the team remains focused. The experienced coach’s approach is based on executing game plans effectively, capitalising on strengths, and leveraging tactical advantages in each match.
“Qualifying for Tokyo with the German team, we were not the favourite by far because we were missing many players. This (Olympic Qualifiers) is somewhat similar, where we know we are the underdogs in most of the games. But we have a very good spirit, a fighting spirit. We play hard and we play together. If we do this, then good things can happen,” said Rödl. “The first game is important for both teams – the Dominican Republic and us. So, we will try to prepare the best we can to give ourselves a chance to win. And if that can happen, we have another chance to win (against Greece).”
Egypt’s greatest strength is its collective spirit, resilience, and determination to succeed. Their performance in last year’s FIBA World Cup marked the beginning of a new chapter for the North African nation. Their story will continue this week as they strive to secure a spot in the 2024 Paris Games.
Rodl, already well-versed in the Olympics experience reflected on what he called a “special event”.
“It is an honour to be in this Olympic Qualifying tournament. It is an honour to be part of the Olympic spirit. Being in the Olympics is perhaps the most special feeling. This is one of the most special events in the world of sports. We are lucky to be there, as coaches and athletes,” said Rödl.
Egypt is undoubtedly a talented team and they will be hopeful that Rödl has the right formula to mastermind a successful qualifying campaign for the North Africans in Greece.
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