KIGALI (Rwanda) - Cameroon found themselves on the ropes but their determination to make history was stronger as they defeated the reigning champions Mali in the Third-Place of the 2025 FIBA U16 Women's AfroBasket .
Rallying from a 16-point deficit in the third quarter, the Cameroonians upset Mali 55-53 to claim their first-ever medal in the tournament's history.
Shanice Mbaha, Marie Messina and Marie Samnick led the way for Cameroon, contributing 38 of their 55 points.
Mariya Diawara was the top scorer with 21 points, but this wasn't enough to save Mali from finishing outside the U16 Women's AfroBasket podium for the first time since the event began in 2009.
Led by head coach Priscilla Mbiandja, a former star player at Women's AfroBasket, Cameroon concluded their campaign with a 3–2 record.
Mali, on the other hand, won Group B with a perfect 3–0 record. They easily beat Angola 57–41 in the quarter-finals, but a 45–40 semi-final loss to Côte d'Ivoire, followed by a 55–53 loss to Cameroon at the end of the tournament, saw them finish with a 4–2 record — their worst result in the tournament's history.
TURNING POINT: Mali were trailing 28–23 at half-time, but returned to the court ready to do whatever it took to win a bronze medal at least.
They used an 18-0 scoring run to start the third quarter, leading by as many as 16 points (47-31).
However, they underestimated Cameroon's ferocious and never-say-die attitude when it mattered most.
With just under three minutes on the clock, the game was tied at 49-49 when Shanice Mbaha's lay-up under the basket gave Cameroon a decisive 51-49 lead.
Although Mali narrowed the gap to 54-53 with 28 seconds remaining following a three-pointer from Coumba Guindo, Marie Messina sealed the victory for Cameroon by converting one of her two free throws.
HERO(es): Shanice Mbaha, Marie Messina and Marie Samnic did everything they possibly could to help Cameroon secure their first ever medal at the U16 Women's AfroBasket tournament.
Mbah scored 12 points, while Messina and Samnic each contributed 13 to rescue Cameroon from what appeared to be their third loss in Kigali.
Coach Mbiadja and her staff deserve credit for putting Cameroon on the map in the U16 Women's AfroBasket.
STATS DON'T LIE: With their starting line-up failing to make a significant impact, Mali had to rely on their substitutes to keep them in the game.
The Malian reserves outscored Cameroon's bench 25–7.
However, Mali's 25 turnovers, which allowed Cameroon to score 25 points, proved costly for the eight-time U16 Women's AfroBasket champions.
BOTTOM LINE: After achieving a 3-0 record in the group phase, Mali faltered in the knockout stages.
Consequently, the 2025 edition of the U16 Women's AfroBasket will be remembered as their worst campaign ever.
Meanwhile, Cameroon demonstrated that their fearless attitude and tenacity were their deadliest weapons when they challenged Mali, who appeared to be heading for another easy win.
In their debut, Cameroon knocked out Mali, the most successful team in the tournament's history.
FIBA