KIGALI (Rwanda) – Mali secured their place in the semi-finals of the FIBA U16 AfroBasket 2025 by narrowly beating Tunisia 73–70.
This was the sixth time the two nations had met at the U16 tournament, with Mali now leading the head-to-head series 5–1.
The game lived up to expectations, with both teams showing tremendous determination throughout.
Although Mali appeared to be struggling at times, they remained composed, regrouping and seizing the right opportunities to make a difference.
Tunisia took an early lead, with captain Adem Rafrafi scoring to make it 3-0, and they extended their advantage to 8-2.
However, once Mali got going, Tunisia could only slow them down. Mali kept the pressure on their opponents and led by as many as 19 points early in the third quarter (66–47).
However, a furious Tunisian comeback saw them fall just three points short of the former African champions.
TURNING POINT: When Mali took the lead midway through the first quarter, it became clear that they were determined not to relinquish it.
With the score at 25-22, they maintained the pressure on Tunisia, who cracked for the first time and found themselves trailing at halftime.
By then, the teams were separated by nine points (45–36), and Mali looked comfortable. However, with a limited number of players, Mali also had to contend with Rafrafi’s accurate long-range shooting and Tunisia’s relentless fightback.
The Eaglets extended their lead to 19 points at 66–47 in the third quarter, but a 23–10 Tunisian run in the fourth quarter gave them a real scare.
However, driven by the prospect of reaching the semi-finals, Mali held on until the final buzzer, keeping Tunisia three points behind (73–70).
HEROES: Adama Sima was the go-to player that Mali needed. He had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds (including seven on defence), shooting an impressive 6-of-9 from the field with one three-pointer.
However, it was Moustapha Doumbia who truly secured Mali's victory.
Although he only scored nine points, he scored the decisive basket when Tunisia closed the gap to 71-69 in the dying seconds. His two-point shot made it 73-69, and despite Rafrafi's last free throw (73-70), the score remained unchanged.
STATS DON’T LIE: Mali's success can be attributed to two statistical categories. Firstly, they outscored Tunisia 44-34 in points in the paint. Secondly, Mali capitalised on their opponents' mistakes, converting 20 turnovers into 20 points. Mali also thrived in transition, scoring 29 points on the fast break.
BOTTOM LINE: This was the sixth time that Mali and Tunisia had faced each other at the FIBA U16 AfroBasket tournament. After losing their first encounter, Mali have dominated every subsequent match.
Fast forward to the 2025 edition and Mali have made it through to the semi-finals, where they will face Cameroon — an ambitious side eager to prove themselves.
WHAT THEY SAID: “We thought this game would be easy. But it was very tough. We came for the win. Tunisia tired us out with their three-pointers. Even though we are only seven, we play for those who aren’t here. We play as if we were more. We’ll prepare for this game against Cameroon better than the others.” – Mali center Adama Sima.
“This is the first time these young players play a Quarter-Final at an African Championship. We faced a very good team. We would have liked to win, but that’s basketball. We’ll watch the video and correct our mistakes. We managed to come back from big deficits, but physically, we were tired.” – Tunisia head coach Marouane Laghnej.
FIBA