ABIDJAN (Cote d’Ivoire) – No matter which teams advance to the semifinals, those countries will enter a new era and achieve something massive.
The semifinalists will obviously enhance their chances of competing for the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket title.
They will also secure their spots in the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifying tournaments, which will take place in March of next year. These teams will join competitors from other parts of the world in four qualifying tournaments, the locations of which are still to be determined.
Teams like Nigeria, Mali, Mozambique, and Senegal are familiar with world-stage competitions, but Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, South Sudan, and Uganda are not.
Here is a look at the four quarterfinals matchups.
Uganda vs. South Sudan (13:00 GMT)
Less than 24 hours after stunning Egypt in the Classification Round for the Last Eight, South Sudan—the only tournament debutant among the eight teams—goes up against neighbouring Uganda in the first game of the day.
The South Sudanese and the Ugandans faced each other as recently as February in Cairo, Egypt, during the qualifying round for the 2025 Women's AfroBasket tournament.
Uganda won that Group Phase game 83-69, securing automatic qualification for FIBA Africa Zone 5 teams. Final Round in Abidjan.
South Sudan made it to the Abidjan 2025 showpiece thanks to a FIBA Africa wildcard. They are one of two teams, along with Mozambique, to benefit from invitations to participate in the event.
Unlike the South Sudanese Bright Starlets, the Ugandan Gazelles will have enjoyed a 48-hour break since stunning Senegal 73-70 in overtime in their last group phase game.
This matchup is intriguing because neither team has ever reached the final four of a Women’s AfroBasket tournament. More importantly, the winner will earn a spot in the 2026 World Cup Qualifying Tournament, where they will compete against teams from around the world.
What do these two teams' metrics and stats show?
Uganda ranks second in points scored per game with 80.5; they are third in field goals with 40.3%, behind only Côte d'Ivoire (51.3%) and Nigeria (42.3%).
No team shares the ball better than Uganda, averaging a tournament-high 22.5 assists per game. They are also second in three-point shooting, with a 33% success rate.
However, South Sudan is the best at rebounding in the tournament, averaging 52 boards per game. Maria Teresa Gakdeng leads this category, racking up an astonishing 24 rebounds in their tournament-changing 75-65 win over Egypt.
Mali vs Mozambique (16:00 GMT)
A quick look at the history between Mozambique and Mali shows a staggering advantage for Mali. They have defeated their opponents four times in their last four meetings, dating back to 2015, when Mali defeated Mozambique twice in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Interestingly, Mali beaten Mozambique by double digits twice. This occurred during the group phase of the 2017 tournament in Mali, where the hosts won 75-52 and Senegal. The other three encounters were decided by single digits.
Both Mozambique and Mali participated in the 2026 Women’s Basketball World Cup Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Mexico last year, though they did not face each other. Mali finished 1-2, thanks to an 88-66 win over Venezuela. Meanwhile, Mozambique lost to Montenegro, New Zealand, and the host team, Mexico.
In terms of scoring, Mozambique averaged 72.7 points in their first three games in Abidjan, while Mali averaged 65 points in their first two.
Mali and Mozambique had the same rating, averaging 19 assists per game. However, Mozambique performed better than Mali in long-range shooting. They shot 25.9 percent, compared to Mali’s 10.5 percent. The two teams also recorded 48 rebounds per game. Expect a tough battle in Thursday’s second game.
Mali's Sika Kone has been one of the most dominant players in the paint, averaging 11.5 rebounds per game, while Mozambique's Leia Dongue has contributed eight.
Cote d’Ivoire vs. Senegal (19:00 GMT)
This is one of those games where official rankings are put to the test. Heading into the quarterfinals, Senegal sits third in Africa, while Côte d'Ivoire is ninth in the FIBA World Rankings, sponsored by Nike.
In most Women's AfroBasket tournaments, host teams tend to perform well, usually reaching the semifinals. This was the case in 2023 (Rwanda), 2021 (Cameroon), 2019 (Senegal), 2017 (Mali), 2015 (Cameroon), 2013 (Mozambique), and 2011 (Mali).
The Elephants of Côte d'Ivoire displayed impressive competitiveness in the group phase, backed by a rowdy home crowd that sold out every one of their games.
Unlike Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal advanced with a 2–1 record, losing only to Uganda in a nerve-racking 73–70 game.
When the two teams last faced each other in Dakar, Senegal, in 2019, the hosts cruised to a 77-36 triumph.
While Côte d'Ivoire averaged 78.5 points per game, Senegal averaged 80.7 points in their first three games, though the Ivorians were the only team to surpass the 50% mark in field goals. They shot a tournament-high 51.3%, while Senegal shot 39%.
Rebounding often plays a big part in close games, so Senegal's 50 boards per game compared to Côte d'Ivoire’s 41.5% is a morale booster. The Ivorians shot better than any other team from deep in their first two games, finishing with a 37% success rate from behind the arc. Senegal shot 17%.
Senegal was one of three teams to surpass the 90-point mark in a game, along with Nigeria and Mozambique. They scored a tournament-high 92 points against Guinea.
Ndioma Kane of Senegal is the most frightening defender, averaging 2.3 blocked shots per game, while Kariata Diaby of Côte d'Ivoire was the most efficient player in the first 16 games of the 2025 Women's AfroBasket, with a 21-efficiency rating.
Nigeria vs. Cameroon (22:00 GMT)
There’s unfinished business between Nigeria and Cameroon—that’s a fact.
Ever since Cameroon ended Nigeria’s title aspirations in the 2015 semifinals, the D’Tigresses sought revenge, which they achieved four years later in Dakar by trouncing Cameroon 106–39. That was their last meeting at the Women's AfroBasket tournament.
Does it make sense to compare events from years ago with players and coaches who are no longer part of their programs? Maybe not, maybe yes.
Cameroon’s current head coach, Ahmed Njoye, was his country’s assistant coach in 2019 when they lost badly to Nigeria. Surely he knows the history of these two teams.
Ezinne Kalu was also part of the Nigerian team that took Dakar by storm en route to their second consecutive title, winning the tournament’s MVP award.
These familiar teams can offer an intriguing matchup. In fact, some tipped this as a potential tournament final, although Group Phase circumstances paired them in the quarterfinals.
Nigeria had the second-best field-goal performance at 42.3%, compared to Cameroon’s 39%. Both teams shared the ball with the same rating, finishing with 18 assists per game.
FIBA