''Mali must beat Senegal to keep Tokyo Olympics hopes alive,'' says Mariam Coulibaly

MAPUTO (Mozambique) – Mali's Mariam Alou Coulibaly has helped her side make a strong statement about their Tokyo 2020 Olympic ambition as she helped her country achieve a significant win over Angola in Friday’s only game of the FIBA Women's Olympic African Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Maputo.

As Mali trounced former African champions Angola emerged 65-45 with Coulibaly netting 21 points. She also grabbed five rebounds and dished out two assists to call it a day.

This says much about her state of mind about the tournament in the Mozambican capital. "We are always set on new goals," the 1.92 m (6ft4in) tall center noted.

Earlier this week, fellow team mate Touty Gandega said to FIBA.basketball that they would like to walk in the footsteps of their elders who made it to the Olympic Village in Beijing, China, in 2008.

Now, the France-based player, who plies her trade for Landerneau Basketball, is looking in the same direction, while waiting for their next confrontation against rivals Senegal. "We need to top our group in Maputo, and for this, we must overrun Senegal in this Saturday’s game," she adds.

This matchup between bordering rivals is loaded with history. The last head-to-head battle between the two African giants saw eventual champions Senegalese side claim a 57-38 victory in the Quarter-Finals of the 2015 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket, in Yaounde, Cameroon to seal their eleventh continental title. 

Coulibaly wasn’t in the squad back then, and the game against their arch-rivals will definitely be a way to make up for that defeat. "We all know it will not be an easy game. But if we keep it together like we did against Angola, we can expect some positive results."

The 22 year-old, who featured twice in FIBA Africa’s showcase of women’s basketball, in 2017 and 2019, has been working hard for what is at stake. She added: "Everyone has been preparing for that Olympic slot. But if we want to make it to Tokyo, we still need to make amends and see what didn’t work out for us against Angola. We’d like to take our revenge on Senegal and we don’t want to miss it this time.”

Mali will take on Senegal in Friday's Group B decider

More than that, there’s still a spot to up for the take for the next round of the Olympic Qualifiers. "If we win today, it will be a great step towards our goal. We know our opponents will offer up a tough show on the court, and we’re determined to give them an even tougher time,” she promises.

Mali know the importance of the game and what a victory would mean. "We’ve been getting ready for it. We want to go to next summer’s Olympics and we’re going to do everything to achieve this dream," she stressed. 

If Mali beat Senegal they will return to the Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament for the first time since 2012.

FIBA