Senegal: poisoned chalice or exciting challenge for Alberto Leal?

It is now official. Senegal's women's basketball team have had a new head coach since last week. His name: Alberto Antuña Leal . The Spaniard will "drive" the Lionesses through their upcoming assignments. While he has expressed his delight at taking over the Senegal bench, Alberto Antuña Leal should also expect a perilous task. The Senegalese basketball federation has set him an ambitious brief. "He has been given a performance-based contract. The first target is of course the 2024 Olympic qualifying tournament. If he gets us qualified, he will logically carry on with his mission. If he doesn't, we will assess the work done to decide whether or not we continue with him", said Senegal's national technical director, Raoul Toupane.

It matters little to the 33-year-old coach. "I am extremely happy to be the coach of Senegal's women's national team. Thank you to the Senegalese basketball federation, its president, its vice-president and the technical director for their trust. A great challenge to take on with the most successful team in Africa and currently 20th in the world," he wrote in a post on X. The Spanish coach arrives to succeed Moustapha Gaye on the bench of the Lionesses. Gaye stepped down after the 2023 Women's AfroBasket in Rwanda, where Senegal won silver behind Nigeria.

A risky bet?

Alberto Antuña Leal can draw on his experience at the last AfroBasket with Uganda to make a success of the job. The Ugandans, who finished seventh in the tournament, had in fact sprung a surprise by beating Senegal in the group stage (85-83). But Uganda are not Senegal. This is a basketball nation with a higher level of expectation. The Lionesses have won the continental title eleven times. Hence the full complexity of the Spaniard's new task.

What is more, with a well-developed press in the country, the slightest slip-up will inevitably spark debate across various media. And the Olympic qualifying tournament (8 to 11 February 2024) looks a huge challenge. With good reason: Senegal have been drawn with Nigeria, Belgium and the USA in Group B. Heavyweight opposition. Alberto Antuña Leal's tenure could therefore end as soon as this tournament is over. That would be a failure for the former point guard, who has indeed accepted this poisoned chalice from the Senegalese basketball federation at his own risk.

A fuller CV even if it ends in failure

An offer from Senegal is hard to turn down. No coach would think twice when offered the head coach's job with the Lionesses. And Alberto Antuña Leal was quick to jump when his phone rang with the call from Senegal. The Spaniard knows full well what coaching the Senegal national team could do for his young career. Even if he is dismissed after failure at the qualifying tournament, Alberto Antuña Leal will already have succeeded in adding to his CV.

Jim CEESAY