ANTANANARIVO (Madagascar) - The highly expected clash between rivals paid out.
Having lost to Côte d'Ivoire in the first round of qualifying in Cairo in February 2024, Egypt were expected to avenge their defeat in their own backyard and get some sweet revenge.
But when the game arrived in Antananarivo, Egypt had a lot on their minds. They were still smarting from their defeat to Madagascar the previous day. And it seemed to show.
They got off to a flying start, going on a 14-5 run in the first five minutes of the game to end the first quarter 25-13 up.
Côte d'Ivoire came back into the game in the second quarter with a 14-13 run. But Egypt went into the halftime break with an 11-point advantage.
The drama unfolded in the third quarter as the West Africans took control of the game with a 24-17 run. It was only a two-point deficit going into the final stanza.
Nisre Zouzoua kicked from distance before Amadou Sidibe followed suit. That turned the tide and Côte d'Ivoire ran out 82-76 winners.
TURNING POINT: It wasn't until the start of the fourth quarter that Côte d'Ivoire put the game out of reach. Nisre Zouzoua, who had already scored 14 points, opened the scoring from the three-point line to put the Elephants ahead 57-55. He added a layup before Amadou Sidibé completed the scoring, also from long range, for a six-point advantage (64-58).
But far from giving up, the Egyptians kept up the pressure, always keeping one step behind the Ivorians. As a result, with 2'49 to go, the score was 74-69. The score kept changing until Solo Diabaté, in good general fashion, gave the Elephants the lead for good with two consecutive layups.
Assemiane Moularé just had to finish the job, scoring the last two free throws to give Côte d'Ivoire victory.
HERO: Who could be a better floor general than Solo Diabate ? He opened his tally in Antananarivo, after finishing with 0 against Madagascar and Central African Republic. Against Egypt, he rose up and contributed 12 points to the winning cause. He was directing the game for Côte d’Ivoire, and coach Miguel Angel Ramos’ face said it all after the game.
BOTTOM LINE: The FIBA AfroBasket 2021 silver medallists finish the qualifiers with a perfect 6-0 run. They were bruised and battered, but never caught off guard. This sends a clear message about their ambitions for the showdown in Angola.
FIBA