PRETORIA (South Africa) - African women's basketball has experienced a paradigm shift with more women getting involved with the managerial roles of the sport and breaking new barriers.
The just-concluded FIBA U18 Women's AfroBasket 2024, in Pretoria, acted as a launching pad for not only some of the players but also the international coaching careers of two incredible tacticians, Juliana Ojoshogu Negedu of Nigeria and Ange Majolie Lonteu of Cameroon.
While all the attention might have been on the title run, it was not lost to many that the U18 Women's AfroBasket 2024 was the first time in the history of African basketball, that two female coaches had guided their respective countries to the Semi-Finals of a major national team tournament; and what an incredible run the two had.
Former players themselves, the younger of the two, Lonteu, guided debutants Cameroon to an incredible run that saw them make the podium, for bronze, in their first time asking.
The 30-year-old, who, until 2018 played in the FIBA Africa Women’s Champions Cup, the predecessor of the Africa Women’s Basketball League (AWBL), led the Central Africans to a 4-2 run to deny some experienced sides and finish third.
Despite opening their campaign with a 73-59 defeat to Tunisia, the debutants regrouped to beat hosts South Africa (107-23) and Rwanda (79-46) to qualify for the Last Eight. Lonteu's charges stunned the then bronze medalists, Angola 65-63 to qualify to the Semis.
Playing record champions Mali in the Last-Four, the Damaris Emedie-powered Cameroonians fell 103-45, completing their run with a 70-66 dogfight against Rwanda for the last podium place.
"Coaching here has been a big win for young coaches in my country and I have to laud the federation for this opportunity," said the Germany-trained tactician who featured for FAP and INJS basketball in her playing days.
The youngest coach at the just-concluded U18 Women's AfroBasket, Lonteu's journey to her historic feat in Pretoria traces back to her college days at the National Institute of Youth and Sports, INJS where she honed her skills for five years.
"I landed a trainers’ course scholarship in Germany after 5 years at INJS and that married well with the other FIBA courses I had taken while still in college. I retired from active playing when I returned to Cameroon and took up coaching full time," Lonteu, who led her side to silver at the Francophone Games in the lead-up to the U18 AfroBasket, explained.
The most qualified woman basketball tactician in Cameroon, Lonteu says being charged with the U18 Women's team came as no surprise but her work was cut out.
"I had to come up with a squad that wants to play together despite their differences and I am proud of what we have done. This is just the beginning for us. I am proud of what I am doing but I know I still have a lot to learn. I want to prove that, even at my age, I can change the sport back home," she added calling on her peers to put in the work as the federation is willing to support them.
Assisted by a former teammate, Sandrine Ayangma, an Overdose Up Station player who was part of their squad for the inaugural AWBL last year, Lonteu says their working relationship has been made better by their already existing rapport as they went to INJS together and have been teammates previously.
Meanwhile, an Olympian herself, Negedu brought former silver medalists, Nigeria, back to the U18 AfroBasket stage after an absence spanning 14 years and they managed to repeat the feat from their last participation.
The Junior Tigresses were quite the revelation, getting to the Quarter-Finals as the best third-placed finisher following losses to Egypt (72-60) and Uganda (80-64); winning once against Zimbabwe in a 107-30 outcome.
Negedu's charges then went on a revenge mission with Idubamo Beggi and Abigail Isaac orchestrating a 67-51 victory to see the side reach the Semis where they had a date with Uganda.
The John Omondi-led East Africans tried but the West Africans found a way to win in a 71-67 show. In the Final, they lost to Mali 76-56. The result sealed a return to the international stage as the finalists represent the continent in next year's FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Czechia.
"I feel honoured and grateful to make history. I am so excited. I wish I could have taken it all the way, bring the trophy home, but I am happy for this milestone," said Negedu who believes she can only get better with each assignment and has promised to prepare her squad for a legacy-chasing run at the U19 Women’s World Cup.
Just like Lonteu, the Nigerian 2004 Olympian transitioned from playing to coaching and credits tacticians who went before her for helping her on this journey.
"I wanted a team of my own, after my playing career, and I also wanted to help players achieve their dreams, playing on the biggest stages. I have worked under some legendary coaches like Ayodele Bakare and learning from them has been life-changing," Negedu offered, adding that she has also worked with trailblazing Rena Wakama, an inspiration.
As the duo looks to take their coaching careers to the next level, they are not short of role models as more women strive to be part of the awe-inspiring story of Africa's women's basketball growth.
Last year, Elisa Pires and Esperance Mukaneza entered the history books as the only female head coaches at the 2023 AWBL, guiding Rwanda Energy Group (REG) and Inter Clube of Angola to the semis as the sides finished third and fourth respectively.
The biggest win for the women’s sport in the continent in the last year or so is easily Wakama's run with Nigeria's D'Tigress.
The 32-year-old was appointed head coach in June 2023, a move that was received with mixed reactions. She, however, silenced all doubters, as she not only delivered gold in the AfroBasket, Nigeria’s fourth in a row, but also led the side to become the first-ever team, men or women, from the continent to reach the Quarter-Final at the Summer Olympics.
Lonteu and Negedu are revelations in a basketball scene that has experienced a steady increase in the number of female assistant coaches in the U18 AfroBaskets as well as other African basketball competitions in recent times. They too chose to work with female assistants, Ayangma and Tayelolu Ruth Adeniyi respectively.
FIBA