LOBATSE (FIBA Africa Champions Cup Women 2017) - Mozambique champions Ferroviario de Maputo on Friday opened the FIBA Africa Zone 6 qualifiers beating Angolan side Primeiro D'Agosto 68-55 in Lobatse, Botswana.

The tournament will qualify two teams for the 2017 FIBA Africa Champions Cup Women (ACCW) Final Round to be held in Luanda, Angola from November 10-19.

Mozambique internationals Anabela Cossa and Ingvild Mucauro combined for 31 Ferroviario points to reaffirm their intentions in the tournament.

Leia Dongue and Ana Goncalves finished with a combining 29 points in the losing cause.

"We were able to stop D'Agosto key players in the paint, we played as a team and we were almost perfect on the attack," Ferroviario de Maputo head coach Inaki Garcia explained to FIBA.basketball.

Argentina international Gisela Vega has joined Ferroviario over a week ago, but is yet to be cleared.

"Apparently FIBA Africa is yet to receive a notification from Argentina," Garcia said. "Hopefully, Gisela will be available for the remainder of the tournament." 

The seven-team Southern Africa qualifier convenes teams from Angola (D'Agosto and InterClube), Mozambique (Ferroviario de Maputo), Botswana (Police Academy and BDF) and Zimbabwe (Lakers and Southern Mavericks). 

In the highly anticipated game of the day for local fans, and following the opening ceremony - attended by Botswana Vice-President Mokgweetsi Masisi - Police Academy outplayed local rivals BDF 81-61.

While Friday's games were played in Lobatse, the remainder of the tournament is expected to be relocated to the capital city of Gaborone.

The qualifier resume on Saturday with ACCW defending champions InterClube taking on Lakers, D'Agosto will square off against Police Academy while Ferroviario will face BDF. 

FIBA