Quarter-Finals - It's a do-or-die day in the U18 African Championship

 

ANTANANARIVO (Madagascar) - Here we are. It's the long awaited Quarter-Finals that everyone has been looking forward to. The pairings have been set and the teams now know who will be their next opponents.

On Wednesday, the first two Quarter-Finals will see Benin clash Mali and Guinea battle Madagascar.

Thursday will offer a duel between North African rivals as Algeria take on Egypt, while Angola and Senegal will try get past each other for a spot in the Semi-Finals.

Here is a breakdown, match by match, of the Quarter-Final stage.

BENIN vs MALI, Wednesday, August 10

Benin managed to secure a place to the Quarter-Finals despite a 0-3 run during the Group Phase.

Well, it's not that it won't be difficult for them, but they will be facing the reigning champions. And when facing such an opponent, one cannot afford to make mistakes, such as missing free-throws and three-pointers (only 5 out of 27.7 attempts).

Mali, on the other hand, seem to have corrected theirs, especially after their loss to Angola. Advantage goes to the two-time defending champions Mali. 

GUINEA vs MADAGASCAR, Wednesday, August 10

This game promises some action. First, because Guinea kept getting better as they built up their squad along the way, then because the hosts can count on their fans to push them.

But much more than these facts, both teams are out to make it to the Semi-Finals.

Madagascar are as prolific in terms of points as Guinea, the former scoring a total of 219 while the latter have netted 203 during the Group Phase. The devil is in the details, they say, and those details will be crucial for victory.

ALGERIA vs EGYPT, Thursday, August 11

This is becoming a classic this year. The North African rivals clash again after their matchup at the Arab Games, earlier this year.

From Zayd Yahiaoui, Algeria's point guard, Egypt suffered a defeat during the Group Phase of the tournament, only defeating Algeria in the Finals.

But as Belal Elshakery, Egypt's power forward, puts it, the title will go to the team that wants it more. And Egypt have already set sights on one of the two tickets for the FIBA U19 World Cup.

ANGOLA vs SENEGAL, Thursday, August 11 

The last Quarter-FInal game will see undefeated Senegal - the only team to have scored a perfect row - take on Angola.

The Lusophone nation have started their campaign with a loss to Egypt, but showed they belong to the continental royalty by dominating Mali in the Group Phase.

But we tend to forget that Senegal were runner-up to Mali two years back. And this is precisely what makes them dangerous as they have been paving their way slowly but surely to the Quarter-Finals.

FIBA