LUANDA (Angola) - Cote d'Ivoire qualified for the 2023 FIBA AfroCan Final thanks to a narrow 74-71 victory over Rwanda.

The Ivorians have qualified for the Final of the competition for the first time in their history, where they will face Morocco, who defeated the DRC in the first Semi-Final.

The 'Elephants' managed to hold off the Rwandans, who took the lead in the dying seconds of the match.

It took the mastery of Sire Dieng and Mike Fofana to see the Ivorians snatch victory.

William Robeyns

TURNING POINT: The game went to the wire, and If it hadn't been for the free-throws from Williams Robeyns, or Dieng and Fofana, the match could have taken a completely different turn.

First, Cote d'Ivoire took the first quarter (13-12), before seeing Rwanda took 37-31 at the break.

Sire Dieng

HEROES: Cote d'Ivoire's Sire Dieng and Mike Fofana were the heroes of the day. When William Robeyns gave Rwanda the lead with a series of three free-throws, Dieng got the teams back on level terms (71-71) first, before giving his side the lead on a free throw (72-71).

It was then Mike Fofana's turn to take responsibility, also scoring twice from the free-throw line to give the Elephants victory (74-71). Fofana finished with 17 points, while Dieng scored 4 en route to victory.

Earlier, Robeyns had thought he had done the hard part when he gave the Rwandans a few seconds of fleeting joy at 70-68. Robeyns, who went 4 for 6 from the three-point line, scored 15 points, collected 4 rebounds and handed out 4 assists.

Zamba Camara accounted for 18 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals 

STATS DON'T LIE: Cote d'Ivoire seem to have learned their lessons and showed it on the court. Against Rwanda, they scored a whopping 14 out of 18 free throws and grabbed 36 rebounds, including 27 on the defensive end.

They were also more diligent in this area, with 11 steals and a total of 17 assists. Rwanda, for their part, grabbed 35 rebounds, including 28 on defense, but this was not enough.

THEY SAID : "It was a tense game, we knew it would not be an easy game. But I asked my players to remain focused and this is exactly what they did. We never doubted and now whatever happens is only a bonus. We’re going to bring the trophy home.” - Doh Kone, Cote d'Ivoire head coach.

"It was tense, like a final. It was not that easy from the start. But we had to trust each other on the court. And I’m happy because all the leaders took their responsibilities and led us to victory. There was indeed a pressure, but we kept our cool and this is what helped us win." - Lionel Kouadio, Cote d'Ivoire forward.

“We knew that Cote d’Ivoire would play on fast break points. And indeed, they scored 22 points from fast breaks. We lost the ball two or three times and this is what cost us the game. We came here with the aim of fighting for every dime. But this is basketball and it happens. Now we’ll allow the players to get some rest and focus on the classification game.” Yves Murenzi, Rwanda coach.

ADDITIONAL NOTES : Earlier today, Kenya and Tunisia claimed a very crucial wins towards their classification game as they fended off Nigeria (61-59) and Angola (68-65), respectively.

Griffin Ligare was the man that led Kenya to victory along with Bramel Mwombe. They each accounted for 13 points.

Later, Tunisia played a very collective game, with 18 assists, to win their classification game against Angola.

FIBA