KIGALI (Rwanda) – Mali once again proved why they are the most successful team in the history of the FIBA U16 Women's AfroBasket as they defeated Angola for the tenth time in time to reach the tournament semifinals for the ninth consecutive time.
In Thursday's second quarter-final game, the reigning champions outclassed Angola 57–41.
This quarterfinals clash carried echoes of their earlier Group B encounter, which Mali also won 52-44.
However, Mali's winning margin was wider this time, demonstrating how quickly the West Africans can adapt and assert their style.
TURNING POINT: Mali began the game by scoring 12 unanswered points, before Ana Neto, the team's guard, hit a three-pointer.
By the end of the first quarter, Mali had established a comfortable 18–8 lead.
Although Angola narrowed the gap slightly in the second quarter, the reigning champions still held a nine-point lead at half-time (34–25).
From that point on, Angola never truly threatened to overturn the deficit. Each time they attempted a comeback, Mali responded with defensive resistance and timely scoring.
HEROES: Mariya Diawara once again underlined her leadership with 15 points and 3 rebounds, while Dié Sarr added 11 points and 8 rebounds, proving equally crucial on both ends of the court.
But the real backbone of Mali’s success was their defensive unit. With seven blocks in total - five coming from Assan Dakouo and two from Napily Issa Traoré. The Malian defense repeatedly shut the door on Angola’s scoring opportunities, frustrating their rhythm and denying them 14 potential points.
STATS DON'T LIE: The key to Mali's fourth consecutive win in this tournament was their aggressive defence, with 22 steals demonstrating their defensive discipline.
Matters were made worse for Angola when they turned the ball over 34 times, with Mali capitalising on nearly every mistake to score 21 points.
Mali led from start to finish; they led by as many as 17 points at some point.
Alicia Muondo, the only Angolan to score in double digits, finished with 15 points, 15 rebounds, but her efforts were in vain..
BOTTOM LINE: Who can stop Mali? This is the question that grows louder with each passing round.
They now have an overall record of 44-4, and have beaten Angola ten times out of ten in tournament history, establishing themselves as their ultimate nemesis.
Beyond the numbers, Mali sent a clear message in Kigali: no matter the challenge, they will dig deeper and find a way to prevail. Whoever faces them in the Semi-Finals knows they will be up against a champion that thrives on pressure and history.
WHAT THEY SAID: “We’re moving forward one game at a time, and we try to go with the flow. Looking back on today’s game, our zone attacks didn’t work the way we expected it to. It was a bit complicated at first, but we adapted and we eventually scored. If there is a team that can make things difficult for us, it’s most definitely Egypt, but we’ll do anything to win the title again.” – Mariya Diawara, Mali’s captain.
FIBA