KIGALI (Rwanda) – Côte d'Ivoire maintained their lead from start to finish, beating the hosts, Rwanda, 72–47 to extend their winning streak to 3-0. Earlier in the day, Angola overcame Sierra Leone 65–37.
Neither team faced any real threats from their opponents, with Côte d'Ivoire leading by 28 points and Angola by 29. Both have qualified for the 2025 FIBA U16 AfroBasket tournament.
Here is a recap of the day’s events in Petit Stade, Kigali.
Côte d’Ivoire progress to 3-0 and grab ticket
Côte d'Ivoire established themselves as serious contenders when they comfortably defeated Rwanda 72-42.
The Elephants started strongly against the hosts, who were eager to protect their home court.
However, missed attempts and a more collective Côte d'Ivoire team saw Rwanda drop to 1-2 in Group A.
Both teams got off to a flying start, but Côte d’Ivoire were the quicker starters, claiming a 16-7 lead five minutes into the game.
By the end of the first quarter, the West Africans were holding their opponents at bay (24–17). Rwanda fought back and managed a 14–17 run. However, they were already 10 points behind (41–31).
“We had a great defence. We trained hard together. Our collective game was on point today,” recalls Raphael Ouédraogo, who recorded 13 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks.
Building on points from turnovers (28 to 11) and points in the paint (48 to 14), Côte d’Ivoire maintained their momentum, extending their lead to 19 points as they approached the final stretch.
At some point, we were all focused on our individual stats. But the coach called us out and reminded us that we were a team.’
Rwanda tried from afar but met with little success, scoring only 7 out of 35 from behind the line. 'They had us on our toes. Personally, I did a lot of rebounding and jumping', adds Ouédraogo.
The final run was a near repeat of the second quarter, with Rwanda giving it their all but ultimately losing 11–17.
The game was tough. But now we’ve qualified for the quarter-finals and we’re looking forward to seeing how far we can go.
Every team has earned the right to be here. As we progress, it will get tougher. But we’re determined to make history for our country.”
Angola finish second in Group A
Angola's 65–37 does not reflect the intensity of the game, with Sierra Leone doing everything they could to thwart Angola's ambitions.
Alfredo Micaba, who led Angola with 14 points and 11 rebounds, had high praise for their opponents. “Our offence didn't quite work at first. There are some things we need to work on if we are to stay in contention”, he said.
With a success rate of just 3 for 37 from behind the arc, Angola struggled to impose their rhythm on the game. “Some things did not quite go our way. We need to focus on that in training.'
This was evident from the outset, as Sierra Leone left them with little to no margin for error by staying close behind (6-5).
However, an 11–2 run in the second half of the first quarter saw the Southern Africans take the lead.
From there, they never looked back. They pushed through to lead 36–21 at half-time and 50–31 by the end of the third quarter, finally claiming a 65–37 victory with a 15–6 run.
With 21 points from turnovers, 34 from inside the paint and 28 from the bench, Angola outplayed Sierra Leone, who could only try to resist. Edilson Pedron finished with a game-high 19 points, while Abdulrahman Sesay of Sierra Leone recorded a team-high 11.
“We need to keep working hard and preparing for whoever’s coming next”, concluded Micaba.
FIBA