Senegal, Mali, Cameroon, Nigeria off to winning start of Women's AfroBasket 2021

 

YAOUNDE (Cameroon) - All four groups top-seeded teams got off to a winning start of the opening games of the 26th edition of FIBA Women's AfroBasket on Saturday at Palais Polyvalent des Sports in Yaounde, Cameroon.

Group C top seeded side and 2017 and 2019 runner-up Senegal began the day in an amazing fashion with a comfortable 100-31 points run-over hapless Guinea.

Senegal, Africa most decorated women team with eleven titles, did not leave anyone in doubt as to their readiness to challenge for the African title they last won in 2015 here in Yaounde as they dominated all four quarters (25-10, 23-09, 23-08, 29-04) to send a warning signal to other would-be contenders.

Yacine Diop

Yacine Diop led the Senegalese campaign with 19 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and and an efficiency rating of 18.

The MVP of the FIBA U18 Women's African Championship was joined in double figures by the quartet of Lena Niang (14), Ndeye Fatou Ndiaye (13), and Maimouna Diarra who made the last basketball to take her side points haul to 100 with ten points.

Mali, the third-placed in the 2019 edition of the tournament,  became the second team to reach the hundred-point mark of the opening day when the Coach Joaquin Brizuela-tutored side handed Tunisia a 101-39 defeat.

Djeneba N'Diaye propelled the Malian quest for glory with 18 points, five assists, six steals with the best efficiency rating of 22. 

The winners of the Women's AfroBasket 2007 dominated from start to finish, never giving their opponents a chance to contest the game.

Mali proved too much for Tunisia in the opening day of the Women's AfroBasket 2021

The trio of Sika Kone, Assetou Traore and Mariam Coulibaly contributed 40 points with Kone posting a double-double figure of 14 points and 11 rebounds, Traore added 14 points and six rebounds while Coulibaly contributed 12 points and six rebounds for their side opening Group D win.

In the third game of the day, host Cameroon outscored a defiant Kenya side 39-33 at the break, before signing off with a comprehensive 74-50 victory.

Marina Paule Ewodo led the Cameroonian with 16 points, 7 rebounds and efficiency rating of 21, Dulcy Fankam was fantastic on both ends of the court with a double-double performance of 15 points and 11 rebounds while Marguerite Effa justified her inclusion by contributing 12 points and six rebounds.

Nigeria extended their Women's AfroBasket winning streak to 14-0 after beating Mozambique. Nigeria's last defeat in African happened in October 2015 in Yaounde

In the last game of the night, defending champion Nigeria were put to a big test as the four-time champion had to dig deep to overcome Mozambique with a 67-50 points victory in the first game of Group B.

Reigning MVP Ezinne Kalu proved once again while she is one of the best point guard on the continent at the moment as she led Nigeria with 17 points, four rebounds and five assists, while captain Adaora Elonu added 13 points and seven rebounds for the defending champion all important win.

FIBA