MOÇÂMEDES (Angola) - With 17 seconds left, Will Tavares missed a free throw that could have put Cape Verde up by two. However, the Ivorians launched an immediate fast break that changed the course of the game.
After Assemian Moulare missed a shot, Jean Philippe Dally grabbed the decisive offensive rebound before scoring the game-winner.
The referees needed to review the play before confirming Côte d'Ivoire's 82-81 victory.
Dally spearheaded three other Ivorians who scored in double digits to annul Ivan Almeida's heroics 22 points.
TURNING POINT: Cape Verde is known for their ability to dominate their opponents in the third quarter. In their first 2025 AfroBasket game against DR Congo, the islanders trailed by nine (34–25) and were down by as many as 16 points at one point. However, they retook the lead in the third quarter to secure the 75-66 victory.
On Friday, Cape Verde trailed by five (40-35) at halftime against Côte d'Ivoire, but a dominant third-quarter performance saw them lead by ten points (65-55) by the end of the quarter.
After several lead changes in the final quarter, Jean Philippe Dally gave Côte d'Ivoire an 80-76 lead with a minute remaining. Then, Cape Verde forward Betinho Gomes hit a three-pointer, cutting the deficit to 80-79.
The dramatic moment of the game occurred when Will Tavares scored a layup followed by a foul. With Cape Verde up by one, Tavares missed his free throw before Dally scored the buzzer-beating winning basket for Côte d'Ivoire.
HERO: Jean-Philippe Dally couldn't have performed more heroically than by coming off the bench and leading his team in scoring with 18 points.
STATS DON'T LIE: From the beginning to the final buzzer, the stats showed that this was an evenly matched encounter. The Ivorians led the rebounding battle, 43-41. They converted seven three-pointers, compared to Cape Verde's nine. However, the difference between the two teams was evident in their bench production. Côte d'Ivoire excelled, scoring 44 points, while Cape Verde scored 21.
BOTTOM LINE: This was one of the most anticipated games in Group A, and it lived up to the hype. No team led by more than 10 points at any time.
Côte d'Ivoire now leads the group with one game left. It will come down to the last day of the group phase to determine who finishes first and automatically qualifies for the quarterfinals, and who will go home.
WHAT THEY SAID: "I don't think we lost the game because of Will Tavares' missed free-throw at the end. He did good things in the game, and this is just part of the game of basketball." - Cape Verde forward Betinho Gomes
FIBA