BAMAKO (FIBA U18 African Championship 2018) -  Seven days into the FIBA U18 African Championship in Bamako and Egypt, Angola, Mali, and Senegal are set to fight for a spot in the Sunday's Final.

This is the moment that everyone waited for over the past week, and what makes this a must-watch doubleheader is the fact that the winners of the games between Angola against hosts Mali, and Senegal versus Egypt will have a chance of fighting for the African title.

But more importantly, the two winners of Saturday's Semi-Finals will earn the right to represent the continent at next year' FIBA Basketball U19 World Cup.

While Senegal won all their Group B four games and before overcoming  Libya in the Quarter-Finals, and as a result, they improved their record to 5-0, hosts Mali extended their winning streak to six games on Friday after demolishing Tunisia in one of Friday's Quarter-Finals.

Both Senegal and Mali emerge as favorites for Saturday's Semi-Finals, but they will need to overcome two resilient teams who reached the final of the tournament two years ago in Kigali, Rwanda.

Making their first appearance in the tournament since 2012 when they won the FIBA U18 African Championship in Maputo, Senegal continue to remind everyone in Bamako that they are on a special mission.

After trailing by as many as twenty points in one of the most anticipated games of the tournament, Senegal rallied to beat Angola by a whisker (77-76) to start their campaign in style.

And much of Senegal's credit is attributed to a superb Biram Faye who has been the heart and soul of the Senegalese, averaging four double-doubles in five games. 

Meanwhile, defending champions Angola responded with four straight wins to reach the Semi-Finals thanks to an impressive team effort.

And, the last time Mali and Egypt faced off in the Group Phase earlier this week, the hosts proved too much for the Pharaohs winning 93-47.

Sixteen-year-old Siriman Kanoute has been key to Mali averaging 14 points and six assists per game while Yassin Hussein has been Egypt's central piece throughout the tournament.

Meanwhile, the winners of the games between Libya against Rwanda and Tunisia versus DR Congo will do battle for the Fifth-Place on Sunday.

FIBA