But Saez, the president of the federation, expressed concern for talisman Pau Gasol who suffered a foot injury and is now an uncertainty for the gold medal clash against Greece.

"We are extremely happy," Saez to FIBA.

"It is something we have been waiting for a very long time and this is what we came for, to play in the final game and we have achieved it.

"We knew it was going to be a hard game against Argentina and it proved to be an agonising victory.

"This is not a result of a day's work but of a lot of effort and hard work put over the years."

The final will see two European teams come face to face after Greece stunned Team USA earlier on Friday with a 101-95 victory.

"Spain and Greece have proved by reaching the final that this is the triumph of teams and that individualities in the end count very little," added Saez.

"We have proved from the very first day in Japan that we had potential and we are able to suffer to overcome adversity."

The Spaniards have not lost a game this summer and cruised through the group stages with victories over Germany, Angola, New Zealand, Japan and Panama in Hiroshima.

Pepu Hernandez's side overcame Serbia & Montenegro in the knock-out round before demolishing Lithuania in the quarter-finals.

"Today we are in the final, having beaten the European runners-up, the World Champions, the 2003 European Champions, the Olympic Champions and now we face the European Champions,¡± Saez said.

"I think we have come a long way and I have to congratulate my players, the merit has to go to them."

The Spaniards however, must brace themselves for a challenging final with team superstar Gasol uncertain.

"It's now more complicated because we have one injured player," admitted Saez.

"Pau is in bad shape, we have to wait, see what the doctors say but the most important thing is the player and how he feels.

"We are a team, Pau is an important reference point in this team but with or without Pau, we will fight and give our all."