ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - It was a game of two familiar foes between Mali and Egypt, but Mali excelled in a 57-55 win.
This victory marks Mali's seventh consecutive final appearance since 2014.
It was undoubtedly a close contest, with the best defensive plays from both sides.
The results of the four quarters — 16-14, 16-15, 16-13 and 9-13 — were testament to the intensity both teams displayed.
Egypt suffered the loss of Fatma Abdella due to injury in the early part of the second quarter, and Egypt's assistant coach, Moussa Reem, admitted that every player's role on the team is important, but that the other players put up a good fight.
Mali captain Couda Keita demonstrated her leadership with 24 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists, achieving the highest game efficiency of 20. Assan Mariko had 12 points and 14 rebounds for an efficiency rating of 15.
Yasmin Ahmed worked tirelessly for Egypt, scoring 10 points and grabbing 11 rebounds for an efficiency rating of 15. Zeina Amin scored 13 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and provided 1 assist.
In a game that left everyone in suspense, Assan Mariko's turnover in the dying seconds gave Egypt a glimmer of hope. However, Hania Hassabelnaby missed her layup with just seconds on the clock, and it was Keita's defensive rebound at the buzzer that saved the day for Mali.
After the game, Zeina Amin said that Egypt had lost due to turnovers and rebounds. "Our goal here in Côte d'Ivoire was to win the title, but that's over now. Our turnovers affected us."
The Mali captain, who also spoke after the game, said that they had to play according to instructions. "The good thing was that we played to instructions and stuck together as a team. That unity was a deciding factor."
The two teams had played each other just last week in the group stage, with Mali winning 62–57.
It's important to note that the heavy drumming of the Mali supporters provided extra motivation for the players.
FIBA