MONROVIA (Liberia) – The long wait is finally over for the young Elephantes of Côte d'Ivoire, who have qualified for the 2025 FIBA U16 Women's AfroBasket tournament.
The Ivorians last appeared in the tournament in 2013 in Mozambique and came out on top in the Zone 3 qualifier held in Monrovia, Liberia.
The Ivorians left nothing to chance, stamping their superiority over their counterparts from Benin and Liberia by towering over them with a 4-0 record.
They won against Benin with scores of 73-31 and 77-48 and against Liberia with scores of 79-46 and 64-38 in the double round-robin games. This confirmed their place in Kigali, Rwanda, from September 2 to 14.
While Côte d'Ivoire showed great resilience, Benin forward Honorine Okpeyemi Laourou stole the show, emerging as the MVP with a total of 103 points from four games.
However, her scoring prowess could not propel her team to victory, and they finished second, with their only win coming against Liberia, 53–47, for a 1–3 record. This earned them five points, the same as Liberia.
However, the game point difference in the head-to-head calculation gave Benin a three-point advantage, securing their second-place finish.
The Cheetahs also struggled against the powerful Ivorian team, losing 99–22. Yet, despite the lopsided scores, the experience proved invaluable for Benin’s young players.
Although they didn’t qualify, the tournament showcased the potential of Benin’s youth basketball program and laid the groundwork for future success at the continental level.
Liberia's U16 girls' team clinched its first and only win of the tournament, narrowly defeating Benin 47–44 in a closely contested match. The result provided a much-needed morale boost for the squad, which also finished with a 1–3 record and earned 5 points, but a goal difference of -62, as opposed to Benin's -68, made the difference.
FIBA