LUANDA (Angola) – 2023 FIBA AfroCan hosts Angola made a loud and clear statement about their ambitions as they edged off Mali 72-55 in an evenly-matched game for Group B

Angola also showed that they have the firepower to enter the title race.

Keven Albino

Keven Albino put up a man-of-the-match performance, contributing 19 points, 18 rebounds and 4 assists to help Angola off to a dream start in their AfroCan campaign.

Albino was not alone in double digits as Braz Macachi scored 11 points, while Tarcio Domingos contributed 10 points to the winning cause.

Mali's N'Faly Kanoute tried to answer with 13 points, as did Tamanjjan Konate, who finished with 11 points, but Angola were out of reach. 

TURNING POINT: Mali had every chance to secure a win against Group B's hot favorite Angola, instead, they fell into their own trap.

After leading by one point after the first quarter (24-23), they kept their hands on the game until Angola stood up. At this point, It was nearly half-time and everybody expected Mali to reply back to the hosts' attack.

But instead, they fell prey to Angola and could not find a way to get back into the game.

Meanwhile, the lead had changed definitely and Angola were heading for the win by half-time.

HERO:  Albino did a bit of everything to see his side win. He picked up 7 offensive rebounds and 11 defensive ones to ensure his side would walk away with the win. And when asked about his performance, he credited his teammates for his performance.

STATS DON'T LIE: Angola's 42 points from inside the paint, along with their 32 points coming from the bench show that the hosts have been more realistic about their chances. Mali could have made it. But making only 31,3 percent of their shooting attempts were far from enough to bother Angola.

What's more, Angola had a more collective spirit as they recorded 22 assists while Mali lagged behind with only 8. Stats really don't lie and Mali learnt it the hard way.

Emanuel Sebastiao

BOTTOM LINE: Angola needed to convey a message and Mali have been in the way. The hosts are fighting towards the title and they don't seem to contemplate any other outcome.

While it can take time to recover from a bad start to a game, patience and skills will make things work. Angola have shown all these for their opening game and look pretty much like a contender.

Let's wait and see what's in store for them.

THEY SAID : "They played a good game. But we played better. Playing basketball is about defense because defense wins you games. And today, we had the strength to put up a good defense. I would also like to take a moment and thank my teammates for the hard work they put in. We're working together towards the same goal and the rest will be better." – Keven Albino.

FIBA