ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - With the Final Round of the biennial FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket set to tip off in September, qualified teams are racing against time preparing for the showpiece.
Set to be hosted in Johannesburg, South Africa, from September 1 to 13, the competition that qualifies teams for the FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup pits the top four teams from the 2022 edition held in Madagascar against nine others in quest for glory.
Holders Mali who reclaimed the title from Egypt, and Angola will make a return ready to battle for a slot to the global showpiece.
Previously known as the FIBA U18 Women's African Championship, the biennial international youth basketball competition has seen Mali dominate the women's tournament, winning eight of the 16 editions held so far.
In the last five editions, the Malians, who have also dominated the FIBA U16 Women’s AfroBasket since inception, have lost the U18 title once, to North African nemesis and hosts, Egypt, in 2020.
The sides have occupied the top two steps on the podium in four of the last five editions, Mozambique breaking that streak with silver in 2018 when the competition was hosted in Maputo. Egypt finished fifth that edition.
As action heads to Johannesburg, Mali, who had a below-par showing at the just concluded FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup, finishing 13th behind African silver medalists Egypt, who placed 11th, will look to prove that their stronghold on the age-group tournaments still stands.
Chasing a record-extending ninth title, Mali's biggest challenge is expected to come from none other than Egypt. The last time the two sides met, the U18 Women’s AfroBasket champions won 86-54 to lift their eighth title.
In the previous edition hosted in Cairo at the height of Covid-19, Egypt clinched their second title. A 68-63 close encounter, ended a 10-year wait for the North Africans as their maiden title had been won in 2010 when they played host to the continental showpiece.
Senegal, the other participants in this edition finished third.
Angola is another force expected to push both Mali and Egypt as they look to improve on their one gold, one silver and five bronze medals that they have picked over the years.
In 2022, Angola lost 67-36 to Mali in the semis, going on to settle for bronze, a repeat of their 2018 exploits where they beat Rwanda in the third-place match 59-46. The side had lost to silver medalists Mozambique in the semis.
Meanwhile Zambia make their maiden appearance while South Africa are back for the first time since their debut in 2004 when they finished fifth.
Teams qualified so far are: - Mali - Egypt - Angola - Morocco - Uganda - Zambia - South Africa - Cameroon - Zone 3 representative - Rwanda - Tunisia - One Last spot will be determined at a later date.
FIBA