Slimane defying father time as passion for playing keeps burning
NOT many ballers in Africa embody what success looks like in basketball than Tunisia’s Sekka, officially known as Radhouane Slimane. Be it in the red vest of Tunisia or at the club level, Slimane, one of the greats of the African game has won it all, and at 44, is still going.
While many of his contemporaries have already hung up their sneakers and possibly sought out alternative careers, Slimane continues to defy the age narrative. So, what keeps him on the hardwood? Well, Slimane, who has shed many drops of sweat on many a court, gave a simple answer to his long-standing devotion to basketball.
“It’s for the love of the game, a love of the game. I am healthy and enjoying the game. I have sacrificed for this game and if I have more years to give, then I will give them,” said Slimane, speaking to The Big Tip Off.
Slimane’s longevity has brought positive yields for the clubs he has played for and the Tunisian national team. With the latter, the Carthage Eagles, he won three AfroBasket titles, and at the club level, he captured the Basketball Africa League (BAL) trophy with US Monastir. In the coming months, Slimane faces a hectic playing schedule, starting in April with the BAL and later the AfroBasket (August 12-24) in Angola. Both Monastir and Tunisia will cross their fingers that their maestro remains healthy for the two tournaments.
The nine-time Tunisia Championnat Pro A winner, Slimane and the Blue Empire will journey to Dakar, Senegal, for their Sahara Conference (26 April – 4 May) of the BAL to face AS Ville de Dakar, BAL champions Petro de Luanda of Angola and debutantes Kriol Star from Cape Verde.
Before speaking on Season 5 of the BAL, Slimane recalled Monastir’s maiden title win (against Petro) in the second instalment of the NBA-backed league in 2022. He explained that the loss to Zamalek in the inaugural BAL made them a tougher team.
“It was our revenge season. We had a great team, with several international players (in Season 1), but it was not a great final for us, and we lost,” said Slimane. “Season 2 was amazing for us, we deserved to win the title. We came back a tougher and more focused team. It was an incredible tournament for us. It was an unbelievable edition because all the teams came back stronger. I think every year, the BAL is becoming harder to win. So for us to win it was amazing.”
While Slimane did not explicitly say the aim is to go for the title this year, he believes they have the playing personnel to go the distance in the BAL.
“We are playing in the playoffs (of the domestic league) as I speak… It should prepare us well for the BAL. We have a good opportunity. We have a good roster. There is a good mix of local talent and import players. I believe we have the potential to go far in this season’s BAL,” said Slimane.
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Experience will count in Monastir’s attempt to capture a second BAL trophy, and the additions of veteran players Mourad Al Mabrouk and Mokhtar Ghayeza bring together an unmatched basketball IQ.
Slimane concurred. “They have a lot of experience… You need that in big games. The young players are talented, but in difficult match situations, talent is not enough. You need smart players – Players with a good IQ,” said Slimane. “It’s not only about having quick feet, you also have to use your head.”
As Slimane leads the team on the court, Walid Zrida, recently hired as coach, will give instructions from the bench. The veteran player says the returning Zrida is a “child of the club”. He is also a coach the players are familiar with, which is a big plus for Monastir.
“We won two championships and two cups with him. So we know him and enjoyed success with him. We know how he wants us to play, and the team understands his philosophy. There is chemistry between us and him, which will make things easy. That is why he was hired (as coach) because he knows everything about Monastir. He is a child of the club,” said Slimane.
Focusing on this year’s AfroBasket, Slimane is one of the great sons of his country’s basketball and has already contributed to all three of Tunisia’s continental titles (2011, 2017 and 2021). Does he have another title run in him?
Having won back-to-back AfroBasket gold, Slimane, who helped Tunisia qualify for a 23rd tournament last month, took a pragmatic tone about talk of a threepeat.
“Staying at the top will be more difficult. We are in transition. It is not the same generation of players. Three players remain from the old generation – myself, (Makrem) Romdhane and Ghayeza,” said Slimane. “New players are coming in, but they lack experience. We have to be there to guide them… Maybe we will achieve something, but it will be difficult.”
The upcoming BAL and AfroBasket bring different challenges for Slimane, but being a seasoned campaigner, this is not new to him. You can expect his on-court wisdom to shine through in the two competitions. And you can expect him to give his all for as long as his mind and body allow him to.
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