ABIDJAN (Cote D'Ivoire) - After 18 years, the 2024 U18 AfroBasket returned to South African shores. It saw Mali reclaim the title and the emergence of Cameroon.
The illustrious youth tournament saw future stars from the continent etch their names.
This article highlights the 2024 U18 AfroBasket Championship.
The Champions
Last September, Mali won a third FIBA U18 AfroBasket title after first winning it in 2018 and retaining the trophy two years later.
The Sahel nation muscled its way to an unbeaten 6-0 record and will be one of Africa's representatives at the 2025 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The runners-up
One of the stories of the tournament, debutantes Cameroon, gave a great account of themselves and was well worth their appearance in the final.
After squeezing out of the group stages with a 1-2 record, Cameroon fought all the way to the final, and despite the loss to Mali, they will make a first appearance at the U19 World Cup next year.
The stars
Youssouf Traore, Amadou Seini, Sekou Bagayoko, Rayane Solhi and Aginaldo Neto were named in the All-Tournament team. Some youngsters even moved up a level within the setups of their national teams.
Cameroon big man Seini, who averaged 12 points and 15.7 rebounds, caught the eye of senior national team coaches and did duty in the 2025 AfroBasket qualifiers in November.
Following his exploits at this year's U18 AfroBasket, Neto, who played in the 2022 edition of the tournament, has made his way to CIA Belle Vista in the United States.
The 18-year-old Neto, who averaged 16.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists, has also represented Angola at the senior level.
Another player who has travelled across the Atlantic is Morocco's Solhi, who averaged 18.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists at the AfroBasket. He joined Veritas Academy.
The tournament puts players on a pedestal to showcase their talents, and in years to come, they will become great ambassadors of the sport.
MVP
Youssouf Mamby Traore recorded six double-double in as many games to be named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.
The Malian emerging star averaged 12.8 points and 16.2 rebounds in six games.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STATS LEADERS.
Final Standings:
1. Mali 2. Cameroon 3. Senegal 4. Morocco 5. Egypt 6. Angola 7. Nigeria 8. Rwanda 9. Cote d'Ivoire 10. South Africa 11. Zambia 12. Uganda
FIBA