CAIRO (Egypt) - Shooting guard Silvia Veloso was the hero of the day as she pulled defending champions Ferroviario de Maputo to a 66-58 victory against fierce competitors Sporting Clube de Luanda on Friday in Cairo, Egypt.
The "Locomotivas" became the first team to qualify for the 2025 Women's Basketball League Africa (WBLA) Semi-Finals.
It was a tough game and we are happy to have won - Carla Covane
Veloso shot 8-for-18 from the field, with only one of her five attempts from range falling, while adding two free throws to finish with a game-high 19 points.
She added 7 rebounds, also a team-high, tied with Ingvild Mucauro and Carla Covane on the boards, 5 assists and 4 steals for 19 in efficiency rating. The Nasir Sale-led side had two more players, Stefania Chiziane and Mucauro scoring in double digits with 13 and 11 respectively, in a game with seven lead changes, where the holders led by as many as 14 in a 17-10 third quarter, despite the Angolans keeping things close at halftime (33-31).
Mucauro, one of the most effective players for the three-time champions, finished with a rating of 18, having added 7 rebounds and as many assists.
Mozambique center Carla Covane, who went against her elder sister Vilma Covane, acknowledged that they went up against a very aggressive opponent, saying: "It was a tough game and we are happy to have won, which is what matters at this stage. It was their first time here and they lacked the experience which we exploited to get the win." She continued: "When you're playing against a good team you don't get the chance for comebacks so we have to work on our mistakes and make adjustments where needed before the semi finals. Any mistake will be punished so we have to be at our best."
FIBA