Greece and Croatia face enormous challenges to reach the Beijing Games via next week's FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

That was evident after the two had to scratch and claw their way to victories on the opening day of the Acropolis Tournament in Athens on Monday.

Chris Kaman is due to arrive in Germany in time for Wednesday's friendly against Canada but national team coach Dirk Baurmann is uncertain if the Los Angeles Clippers center will play in the game.

Kaman, whose great grandparents were German, received his passport last week and can now play for Bauermann's team at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Athens, Greece, where they will take on New Zealand and Cape Verde in Group B.

Greece made it to the semi-finals of last year's EuroBasket and they could have done even better if a finger injury suffered by Antonis Fotsis shortly before the tournament had not knocked the star forward out of the event.

Greek fans are relieved that Fotsis, who this summer has agreed to return to his country from Dynamo Moscow to play for Panathinaikos, is in the national squad as they prepare to host the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Athens from July 14-20.

Germany's bid to reach the Beijing Games via the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament just got a lot stronger following the news that NBA center Chris Kaman can now play for the country.

The Los Angeles Clippers big man, who is coming off a campaign in which he averaged 15.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.8 blocks, received his German passport at the country's consulate in Los Angeles this week and should join the national team in the coming days to bolster a frontline that already includes one of the best players in the world in Dirk Nowitzki.