Eight teams go to war over four Quarter-Finals slots

 

YAOUNDE (Cameroon) - All eyes will be on which four countries out of the eight that get second chance of progressing to the Quarter-Finals stage of the FIBA Women's AfroBasket 2021 at the Palais Polyvalent des Sports on Wednesday.

The eight teams that will be battling out are four runners-up and four third-placed finishers from groups A, B, C and D. While the four winners will remain in contention, the losing teams will be eliminated.

The eight teams needed all the weapons in their armoury to go through as the quartet of host Cameroon, defending champion, Nigeria, Africa most decorated women team, Senegal and 2019 bronze medallist, Mali await their opponents.

The first game at 11:00 GMT +1 will be an all-North Africa affair as Group C second-placed team Egypt file out against Tunisia who finished third from Group D.

The outcome in this tie will depend largely on which team is hungrier to go, though odd seems to be in the favour of Egypt who finished the group stage on the back of a 1-1 record.

However, as the saying goes underestimate a wounded lion at ones' peril, as Tunisia who did not win any of their Group Phase games, seems risky.

Tunisia were the better side in the last meeting between both sides 21 years ago in the Women's AfroBasket played in Tunis, where Tunisia finished second. 

The second game of the day will be a West Africa derby as Cote D'Ivoire will battle it out against Guinea at 14:00 GMT+1.

Guinea, the only side to have conceded hundred points mark twice (100-31 Senegal and 102-58) must up their game so as to earn some respect even if the unthinkable happens.

When the two sides faced each other in 1994, the Ivorians came up on top 81-40 in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

In the third qualifying Quarter-Finals pairing is between two evenly sides Kenya versus Mozambique at 17:00 GMT+1.

Kenya have tasted victory in Yaounde in a nail-biting 61-58 victory over Cape Verde which might serve as a form of motivation to the East African side, while Mozambique wouldn't want to exit the Championship empty-handed, so fans should prepare for a real showdown.

A moment of the Mozambique vs Kenya in 2019 in Dakar

The last time Mozambique and Kenya faced off, the former prevailed 55-39 in the Group Phase in the Women's AfroBasket 2019 in Dakar.

In the last match-up of the day, at 20:00 GMT+1, two-time African champions, Angola will go up against Cape Verde whom they defeated twice (66-41, 2007) and (76-51, 2013) in the meetings between both sides in the Championship.

Angola will definitely want to vent it anger of going down to Nigeria in their last Group B game Monday night but the Cape Verdean are a side that does not fancy past record.

FIBA