LUANDA (Angola) - Mali outscored Uganda 82-59 on Saturday to extend their unbeaten run to 5-0.
They remain the only undefeated team in the 2027 World Cup African qualifiers, ahead of their final Group D match against Angola on Sunday.
This victory means they remain at the top of their group and has established Mali's longest winning streak in African basketball history.
While Mali remain in contention for one of Africa's five spots at the 2027 Qatar World Cup, Uganda's hopes have been dashed.
The Silverbacks of Uganda are the third team to be eliminated from the World Cup race so far. The other two teams are Madagascar and Rwanda.
Meanwhile, Mali's win over Uganda helped Egypt secure the third and final qualifying spot in Group D for the second round.
Except for Mahamane Coulibaly, who spent 25:29 minutes on the court, all of Mali's players scored at least two points in their largest winning margin of the campaign.
"We are humble. We play for each other. We have so many different players in different roles," said Oumar Ballo, who finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Nike Sibande, who scored the opening basket with a fast-break layup, finished with 12 points. Other Ugandan players to score in double figures included Deng Geu, who added a team-high 13 points, and Robinson Opong, who contributed 10.
Uganda currently has an overall win-loss record of 2–19 over the last two editions of the World Cup African Qualifiers.
"We made a lot of mistakes in defence. I know we can compete better than we did today. These teams are very good. If we don't compete with the same energy, we won't give ourselves a chance," said Uganda coach Mandy Juruny.
Uganda will close their Group campaign facing Egypt on Sunday while Mali face hosts Angola in a rematch of the 2025 AfroBasket.
FIBA