Tunisia send message out with 3-0 mark

 

MONASTIR (Tunisia) - Tunisia sent out a message out with a convincing 82-73 win over Angola on the last day of Window 1 of the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket Qualifiers on Sunday in   Monastir.

For a team that faced a downfall in recent years, winning all three games -against Angola, Kenya and Guinea in Group E - under a new coaching staff and a number of young players was indicative of a successful reemergence.. 

Tunisia’s rebuilding was on full display in front of an enthusiastic home crowd.

“We’ve only three games, nothing else,” said Tunisia head coach Mehdy Mary whose team rallied from a 15-point to shut down Angola in the third quarter.

Omar Abada led the way for Tunisia, finishing with game-highs of 19 points and 8 assists. Three otherTunisian players scored in double digits, combining 50 points for the reigning AfroBasket champions.

Abou Gakou scored 15 of his 19 points beyond the arc; Childe Dundao added 11 points, but the night belonged to host Tunisia.

TURNING POINT: Angola’s aggressiveness on the defensive end and an impressive efficiency was short-lived until Tunisia took over on the third to never trail again.

And when Tunisia hit a 14-point advantage in the fourth quarter the Angolans searched for answers that eventually came a little too late.

Angola’s disastrous third quarter was difficult to overcome.

GAMES HERO: Oussama Marnaoui and Omar Abada caused Angola unmeasurable damage, combining 36 points.

Marnaoui set the tone off the bench, shooting 6-for-13 from the floor to go with 17 points while disrupting Angola’s offense with 4 steals. 

STATS DON’T LIE: Tunisia’s bench made a huge contribution, outscoring Angola’s 41-18, but Angola’s biggest downfall was their 18 turnovers.

BOTTOM LINE: Tunisia won three games in row for the first time since winning the 2021 AfroBasket.

A celebration between players and fans at Salle Mohamed Mzali in Monastir reflected a new era, especially after Tunisia went 1-2 in the same venue during the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup African `Qualifiers.

Angola, meanwhile, were left frustrated after a promising first half. 

Angola return home with 2-1 mark - thanks to wins over Guinea and Kenya - and hopes of better days.

WHAT THEY SAID: “We came here to win all three games. We couldn’t do it, but I am proud of the way our players performed. This is a young group of players that has the potential to do better. We’ll continue to work hard to win more games and qualify to the AfroBasket, that’s our main objective.” - Angola head coach Anibal Moreira. 

“It wasn’t an easy game. Angola is a good team that caused us serious problems. We are happy that we won all three games.” - Tunisia head coach Mehdy Mary. 

FIBA