DAKAR (Senegal) - When the final whistle blows in Dakar on Sunday between Al Ahly Sporting Club of Egypt and Ferroviario de Maputo of Mozambique, a new Women's Basketball Africa League (WBLA) champion will be crowned.
There are more similarities than differences between the two teams, but there are also some facts and figures that separate Al Ahly SC from Ferroviario.
Winning records leading up to the final:
Each team reached the title game undefeated in five games:
Points scored and allowed per game in the elimination round:
While Al Ahly SC averaged 77 points in the Quarter and Semi-Finals, Maputo recorded 76 points per game.
On the defensive end, the Egyptian champions allowed an average of 50 points in their last two games against Maputo's 58.
Largest rally to win a game:
Al Ahly SC only trailed once in the knockout stages, but overcame an 11-point deficit to beat hosts ASC Ville de Dakar in the semi-finals.
"As Locomotivas", for their part, trailed Jeanne D'Arc by two points in the semi-finals before coming from behind to win, but it was their comeback from a 24-point deficit against APR in the last-four that showed Ferroviario de Maputo's resilience.
Players to watch:
Senegalese star Ndioma Kane has been crucial for Al Ahly SC, leading the team in scoring with 12.4 points per game and shooting 63 per cent from the field in the elimination round.
Veteran Anabela Cossa is known for her three-point shooting and she has lived up to expectations, leading her team with 47 per cent shooting from behind the arc.
Finals appearances:
Unlike Ferroviario de Maputo, who have reached the final of the now-defunct FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women five times, winning the trophy twice in 2018 and 2019, Al Ahly SC are reaching this stage of the competition for the first time.
Each head coach's greatest continental achievement:
Al Ahly SC head coach Tarek Abouzied led the club's men's team to the 2016 FIBA Africa Champions Cup title in their own backyard.
Ferroviario de Maputo's Nasir led Liga Desportiva to the 2012 FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women title in Abidjan.
FIBA