ALEXANDRIA/DAKAR (Egypt/Senegal) - Mali's narrow 80-79 victory over Angola was a masterclass in how to beat a champion.
They finished the first round of Group D undefeated, continuing their quest for a place at the 2027 Basketball World Cup.
Mali's performance was a clear demonstration of their ongoing progress, bearing no resemblance to the team Angola demolished 70-43 in the 2025 AfroBasket final last August.
1. Reshuffle of the starting line-up
Unlike in their first two games against Egypt and Uganda, Mali started with a new-look line-up, dropping Fousseyni Dramé, Oumar Ballo and Ibrahima Haidara.
Coach Alhadji Dicko instead called up Mamadou Keita, Moulaye Sissoko and Mamoudou Diarra to join Siriman Kounate and Mahamane Coulibaly.
When Ballo entered the game he played a huge role in the win, finishing 17 points and 7 rebounds. Mali's bench outscored Angola's 29-26.
2. Patience was a virtue for Mali
Aware of Angola's combative and aggressive style of play, Mali went on scoring runs.
However, the Angolans fought their way back and even took the lead in the dying seconds of the game.
Trailing by as many as 12 points, Mali never backed down.
When they appeared to be rushing their offensive plays, coach Alhadji Dicko called a timeout.
Patiently, Mali restored their composure, with Mahamane Coulibaly hitting a mid-range jumper that cut the gap to just one point (79–78) with only 22 seconds remaining.
3. Aggressive defense
Angola experienced their own medicine when Mali forced them to turn the ball over with just 21 seconds left, before Kanouté's drive sealed the deal at 80–79.
4. Stand in front of Dundao
Childe Dundao is known for his fearless spirit when attacking the basket.
With the game on the line, he attempted to drive to the basket, but ended up committing an offensive foul, which literally secured the win for Mali.
5. Force Fernando out of the game
Former NBA player Bruno Fernando played a key role in Angola's winning streak, but Mali knew that forcing him from the game would be effective.
Fernando picked up his fourth foul midway through the third quarter, prompting coach José Claros to protect him from reaching the foul limit.
When he returned with 8:27 minutes remaining, his sky-hoop shot gave Angola a 75–74 lead.
He followed this with a fast-break dunk to make it 77-74. However, Angola's five turnovers in the final quarter proved costly.
6. Unfamiliar territory for Angola
Mali was a completely different experience for Angola in the first round of the group stage.
Unlike in their first two games, Angola found themselves trailing for the first time.
They had beaten Egypt and Uganda without ever falling behind.
At halftime, Mali were leading 46–44.
7. Mali self-confidence
Although Mali found it challenging at times, their self-confidence proved invaluable.
8. Give the ball to Kanoute
Siriman Kanoute set an African Qualifiers record with his 15 assists and finished with a team-high 23 points, leaving Angola helpless to stop him.
FIBA