KIGALI (Rwanda) - Egypt and Côte d'Ivoire have secured their places at the 2026 FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup by reaching the final of the 2025 FIBA U16 Women's AfroBasket tournament.
With their places at the 2026 tournament in the Czech Republic now secured, another significant challenge awaits Côte d'Ivoire and Egypt.
The winner of the final between Côte d'Ivoire and Egypt will become the first African champions since Mali won eight consecutive titles.
Notably, Mali has won every U16 Women's AfroBasket tournament since its inception in 2009.
HOW THEY REACHED THE TITLE GAME?
Neither Egypt nor Côte d'Ivoire have ever faced each other in the tournament's history, and both teams have taken different routes to reach the final on 14 September at the Petit Stade in Kigali, Rwanda.
Since the competition began, Egypt have won all five of their games, winning Group C with impressive victories over Cameroon, Kenya and Morocco.
Their smallest winning margin in the group stage was a 35-point victory (73–38) over Cameroon.
They obliterated Cameroon 92–29, cruised past Morocco 90–20, and demolished Tanzania 83–25 in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, Egypt had to work harder to beat Cameroon 72–50.
Meanwhile, Côte d'Ivoire suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of Mali, who won Group B, while Côte d'Ivoire finished second with a 2–1 record.
Unlike Egypt, Côte d'Ivoire found themselves on the ropes a few times, but they managed to win their last group game against Angola 54–51. A 69–41 victory over the hosts, Rwanda, in the quarter-finals gave the Ivorians the boost they needed before their historic semi-final clash with Mali, which they won 45–40.
WHAT DO THE NUMBERS SHOW ABOUT COTE D'IVOIRE AND EGYPT?
A thorough analysis of the key statistics reveals some stark differences between Côte d'Ivoire and Egypt.
The Egyptians averaged a much higher points-per-game rating (82) than Côte d'Ivoire (56), although the Ivorians had a better rebounding rate with 58.6 boards per game compared to Egypt's 57.
In terms of shooting opportunities, Egypt performed better, averaging 25 assists compared to Côte d'Ivoire's 15.2.
Neither team seems to have mastered shooting from deep, although Egypt fared better with an average of 24.3% compared to Côte d'Ivoire's 15.3%.
Egypt averaged 38% for field goals, compared to Côte d'Ivoire's 31%.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Leila Eissa has played a significant role in Egypt's impressive 5-0 record, averaging an impressive 12.2 points per game.
Meanwhile, Jane Diomande has emerged as Côte d'Ivoire's go-to player, averaging an impressive 13.4 points per game.
Egypt's bench players have also played a significant role in their success, contributing 42.4 points per game compared to Côte d'Ivoire's 26.8.
HISTORY IN THE U16 WOMEN'S AFROBASKET
Egypt, who have never missed an edition of the tournament, have fought hard for years to win it, but the most they have achieved so far are four silver and one bronze medal.
Meanwhile, this is Côte d'Ivoire's second appearance in the tournament since they debuted in the 2013 edition, finishing sixth.
Overall, Egypt has a win-loss record of 20–10, compared to Côte d'Ivoire's 6–5.
FIBA