Morocco teams dominate Zone 1 Qualifiers for the 2024 FIBA U18 AfroBasket

 

MONASTIR (Tunisia) - The two Moroccan teams have qualified for the 2024 FIBA AfroBasket finals, slated for August in South Africa, following their successful campaigns at FIBA Africa Zone 1 Qualifiers held in Monastir, Tunisia.

Three countries from the Maghreb region, namely Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia competed in Monastir from July 11-14 for the right to qualify for the biennial FIBA U18 AfroBasket tournaments, but it was the Moroccan who came up on top.

Tunisia's home venue, Salle Mohamed Mzali, was not a barrier for the Moroccan teams who overcame the hosts in the decisive games.

Of the two matches, it was the women's final that lived up to its promise. Beaten earlier by Tunisia in the group phase, the Moroccans quickly took charge and kept up the tempo to win 52-49.

In the men's game, Morocco, led by Omar Karem's 26 points, had the game wrapped up by the end of the second quarter, with the Moroccan team leading by 11 points (61-50).

While the visitors maintained their offensive efficiency in the last two quarters, scoring 35 points, Tunisia could only manage 25 as Morocco prevailed 85-58.

FIBA.basketball takes a look back at the four days of competition.

Morocco's U18 women clinch historic qualifier

The women's final had it all. Suspense, fighting spirit, tears of joy and disappointment.

For Morocco, a 52-49 victory at the end of the game opened the door to their first appearance at the U18 AfroBasket.

 

It was difficult to predict whether the hosts or the visitors would come out on top, as the two teams kept each other on their toes.

At the end of the first quarter, Morocco led by two points (9-7). But Ines Boulboul and her team-mates extended their lead to eight points by half-time (30-22).

After the break, both teams applied themselves. While Morocco still held a seven-point lead at the start of the third quarter, Tunisia spent most of the period catching up with their opponents, until they were only four points behind at the start of the fourth quarter!

With two minutes left to play, Morocco led by two points (49-47). But Tunisia's Youmna Zaghouani put both teams back on level terms after a fine effort in the paint.

It was all over again for the visitors. The last two minutes, undoubtedly the longest for both sides, were characterized by clumsiness in front of the baskets, the stakes creating a certain feverishness.

It took all the calm and skill of Morocco's Eiza Louveton to score the winning three-pointer. There was still a minute to play. And even if Tunisia threw themselves wholeheartedly into the battle, it would be too late.

MOROCCO CRUISE TO VICTORY IN MEN'S EVENT

In the men's final, it was a one-sided affair which served the purpose of Omar Karem and his team-mates. They quickly took control at the start of the match, and by the end of the first quarter had a nine-point lead.

By half-time, their lead had almost doubled (50-33), as the Tunisians struggled to score.
It was only towards the end of the third quarter that they narrowed the gap somewhat, although it was still more than ten points (61-50).

Meanwhile, Morocco continued to press forward. In the final quarter, they brought out the heavy artillery, scoring 24 points to Tunisia's eight, to win 85-58.

Gameday 1

The first day of Zone 1 Qualifiers for the AfroBasket U18 was not to be missed. Tunisia, in the women's tournament, and Morocco, in the men's, showed their determination to secure their place in the final phase in August.

The Tunisians won a landslide victory (65-34) over Algeria, thanks to an impressive 20-point performance in the third quarter. They dominated their opponents by exploiting mistakes and being more efficient in the paint.

Meanwhile, the Moroccan men's team returned from a 16-year absence with a convincing victory over Algeria (77-53). Morocco exploited their opponents' weaknesses, scoring points from turnovers and fast breaks. Algeria, on the other hand, struggled with their shooting, with only five successful shots out of 26 attempts.

Gameday 2

The second day of the FIBA U18 AfroBasket qualifiers saw Morocco defeat Algeria in the women's competition and Tunisia beat their Moroccan neighbors in the men's competition.

The Tunisians, as hosts of the competition, were expected to come out on top against Morocco in a tight game. The Moroccans took an early lead, but the hosts managed to close the gap thanks to Mohamed Rayen Rouissi, who scored 23 points.

Despite the Moroccans' determination, the Tunisians took control of the game and won 72-69.
In the women's game, Morocco won a crushing victory over Algeria, with a 31-point half-time lead and a final score of 71-48. Morocco's Lina Masrour led her team with 19 points and 4 rebounds.

Gameday 3

The third day of the AfroBasket U18 qualifiers saw the two Tunisian selections validate their ticket to the final at the expense of Morocco in the women's competition and Algeria in the men's competition.

Tunisia qualified for the women's final by beating Morocco 56-55. Tunisia's captain, Nour Horchani, was the key player of the match, scoring 22 points.

Despite a solid performance from the Moroccan team, Tunisia managed to keep control of the game throughout. The two teams battled with great intensity, but it was Tunisia who finally took the lead in the last minute of the game, thanks to Yoldez Ben Belaid.

In the men's tournament, Tunisia also claimed a crucial victory over Algeria to qualify for the finals. The Tunisians managed to turn things around after trailing in the first half and ended up winning the match with a comfortable lead (61-40).

FIBA