LUANDA (Angola) - Angola and Mali fans filled in every seat of the 12.700 Kilamba Arena in Luanda to watch Angola regain their AfroBasket glory on Sunday.
Angola crushed Mali 70–43, winning the coveted AfroBasket title for the first time since 2013.
Though not their most impressive performance in the tournament, Angola led from start to finish.
With a lead of more than 20 points in the third quarter, the Angolan fans performed the Mexican wave in unison. At that point, there was no way back for Mali.
Childe Dudao led the new champions in scoring with 16 points and received MVP chants later in the fourth quarter. Selton Miguel was the other Angolan to score in the double digits, finishing with 12 points.
Siriman Kanoute and Aliou Diarra led Mali with 14 and 11 points, respectively.
Angola completed their 2025 AfroBasket campaign with a perfect 6-0 while Mali, who reached the title for the first time, finished 4-3.
Mali's 43 points are the fewest scored in an AfroBasket in the last three decades.
TURNING POINT: Mali's resistance only lasted until halftime, when they trailed 32-20. What followed was a one-sided affair for the hosts, who led by as many as 27 points and never took their foot off the pedal.
Mali started the final quarter with a 5-0 scoring run, but Angola's determination to secure their first continental title in twelve years proved too much for Mali.
HERO: Childe Dundao! Who else? The 5-foot-6 point guard — the shortest player in the tournament — was once again a giant, leading Angola with 16 points and 5 assists.
Dundao was the heart and soul of the team. Not only did the Petro de Luanda guard spend the longest time on the court, at 33:33 minutes, he was also vocal and a real floor general.
Childe Dundao was voted the 2025 AfroBasket Most Valuable Player.
STATS DON'T LIE: Although trailing by 12 at halftime seemed recoverable, Mali never really locked in offensively.
Mali's 18 turnovers in the opening quarter clearly showed their difficulty handling Angola's aggressiveness. To make matters worse, Angola capitalized on Mali's sloppy plays, scoring 22 points off their 24 turnovers.
Mali, usually a decent rebounding team, was outrebounded 54–36.
Siriman Kanoute registered the most turnovers (10) in a 2025 AfroBasket game and finished with five on Sunday.
Mahamane Coulibaly, known for his scoring prowess, finished 1-for-9 from the floor and finished with just two points.
BOTTOM LINE: Angola limited Mali's momentum early on by containing their key players — Aliou Diarra, Mahamane Coulibaly, and Siriman Kanoute — and the strategy worked.
After twelve years, Angola's wait ended in remarkable fashion. A packed Kilamba Arena witnessed Angola's new heroes overcome adversity to win their 12th AfroBasket title.
Angola last won an AfroBasket title in 2013. With a chance to win in front of their home fans, the Angolans stood firm, finishing the tournament with a perfect 6-0 record.
FIBA