KIGALI (Rwanda) – Egypt made another bold statement at the 2025 FIBA U16 Women’s AfroBasket, delivering the tournament’s widest margin of victory so far with a commanding 92-29 win over Kenya.
This was Egypt's second consecutive victory in Group C, following their 73-38 demolition of Cameroon three days earlier.
Their 2–0 record sends a clear message that they are determined to progress in Kigali, as they became the first team in the group to advance to the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, Cameroon kept their campaign alive by grinding out a 44–37 victory over Morocco, who lost their second consecutive game.
Egypt ruthless from start to finish
Egypt made their intentions clear from the outset.
From the opening tip, they seized control with an 11-0 run in the first quarter that set the tone immediately. By the midway point, Kenya were struggling offensively, and Egypt’s defensive intensity dominated every possession.
Another burst of 11-5 stretched the lead further, and by half-time, the score was already 41-14. The outcome was clear, but Egypt did not let up.
Kenya finally reached the 20-point mark late in the third quarter, but with the score at 63-21, the contest was already over.
Egypt’s depth and relentless pace turned the final stretch into another display of strength, culminating in a 29-8 fourth quarter that secured the biggest victory of the tournament so far.
Egypt guard Dana Abdalaa emphasised how well prepared the Pharaohs had been. “In our first game against Cameroon, we made a lot of mistakes. We analysed the footage and also watched Kenya’s game against Morocco, so we were ready for this one,” she explained.
Abdalaa led by example, scoring 19 points and grabbing seven rebounds in just 19 minutes on the court. Leila Eissa backed her up with 17 points, including an efficient 4-of-7 from three-point range, while Egypt’s bench also made a significant contribution.
Despite the lopsided score, Kenya had reason to be encouraged by forward Brenda Akinyi, who fought hard to register 16 points and 7 rebounds — the only player on her team to reach double figures.
Abdalaa insisted that Egypt would not take their foot off the gas. 'We’ll review this game again and see where we went wrong because we still made mistakes. But we’ll come back better and stronger.”
Cameroon break Moroccan resistance
Cameroon, who lost to Egypt in their opening match, needed to respond, and they did just that. Their 44–37 victory over Morocco was far from straightforward, but it kept them in contention for a place in the quarter-finals.
Led by Shanice Mbaha’s impressive double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds, the Lionesses had a nervous start before finding their rhythm. Morocco drew first blood with a narrow 4–3 lead, but Cameroon responded with a decisive 13–6 run to finish the first quarter in the lead.
Morocco dominated the second quarter, their discipline on both ends of the floor allowing them to reduce an eight-point deficit to just two (21–19) by halftime.
When play resumed, Morocco managed to draw level, putting Cameroon under pressure. However, turnovers proved costly.
Each time they faltered, Cameroon punished them, regaining control and restoring a five-point cushion (37–32) heading into the last quarter.
The final ten minutes turned into a tense battle. Both sides gave their all, yet Cameroon’s composure stood out. They withstood Morocco’s late surge and won the quarter 12–10, securing a valuable victory.
Morocco’s captain, Lamia Aya H’saina, posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds, while Samia Lofti added another 10 points. Still, their efforts fell just short.
The statistics reflected just how tight the game was. Cameroon narrowly won the rebounding duel (52–48), while the number of assists was almost identical (7–8). Morocco even had more blocked shots (5–1).
However, Cameroon’s 18 steals, coupled with their ability to score 21 points off Moroccan turnovers, proved to be the deciding factor, as did their 24 points in the paint.
Coach Priscilla Mbiandja’s team now control their own destiny against Kenya, knowing that another win would secure their place in the quarter-finals.
FIBA