LUANDA (Angola) - Mozambique and Angola are the pride of Southern Africa's basketball landscape and their two showdowns on Monday and Tuesday (February 3-4) in the FIBA AfroBasket Zone 6 Qualifiers will be nothing short of epic.
The battle to qualify for the 2025 FIBA Women's AfroBasket in Côte d'Ivoire (23 July and 5 August) pits two countries with strong credentials against each other.
Angola - two-time continental champions in 2013 and 2011 - have since lived in the shadows of that golden era.
Mozambique, a country that has come close to winning the women's title on three occasions (2013, 2003 and 1986).
Both teams will be battling for the lone automatic berth available to Zone 6. A place that Mozambique secured in dominating fashion at the 2023 qualifiers in Zimbabwe.
This time around, the venue for the qualifiers has moved from neutral ground to Angola's home ground at the Pavilhao da Cidadela in Luanda, giving Paulo Macedo's side a significant advantage.
As visitors, Mozambique are not the sort of team to get cold feet in front of a passionate home crowd. On the contrary, given their recent dominance over Angola, they could well spoil the party.
The hosts will also be keen to avenge the three defeats they suffered at the hands of Mozambique (in the group stage and the final) in the 2023 qualifiers.
With the talents of Italee Lucas, Sara Caetano and Cristina Matiquite, the Angolans have the tools to dominate their opponents.
As for Mozambique, the likes of Ingvild Mucauro, Anabela Cossa and Carla Covane are expected to be in fine form for the back-to-back clashes with Angola.
FIBA