SEMI-FINALS PREVIEW: Who will make it to the Championship Game?
Three of the four semifinalists are familiar to this stage of the competition, but can hosts Rwanda - who reached the semis for the first time - come up with an upset? It's Semi-Finals day.
KIGALI (Rwanda) – Three of the four semifinalists are familiar to this stage of the competition, but can hosts Rwanda - who reached the semis for the first time - come up with an upset? It's the 2023 Women's AfroBasket Semi-Finals day in Kigali.
The two Semi-Finals will see Rwanda take on reigning champions Nigeria while Senegal will go up against Mali.
Both Mali and Nigeria are headed to the Last Four with a 3-0 mark each, while Senegal (2-2) and Rwanda (2-1) have been challenged earlier in the tournament.
Below is a break-down of the games.
RWANDA v NIGERIA
The hosts are on a 2-1 winning streak. They have recovered from their loss to Angola in the Group Phase, mainly because they have the local fans supporting them.
But Rwanda are so much more than just fans. They have the skills. They have the players. And they have the dreams. Never have a Rwandan team reached the Semi-Finals. They won't let anyone take the dreams away from them.
But Nigeria also have a dream. This time, the D’Tigresses dream of taking home a fourth consecutive trophy from the FIBA Women's AfroBasket.
Sarah Ogoke said to FIBA.basketball that she knows that things are not going to be easy. "We'll be playing against an entire country. But we're going to focus on the game and try to get us to the Final and the OQT."
SENEGAL V MALI
Mali outclassed Senegal in the Group Phase of the 2023 Women's AfroBasket
Mali and Senegal have a long history of rivalry between them. And in the history of this special West African clash, Senegal lead 7-2 from their last nine matchups.
The most recent victory from Mali was recorded on July 30, for the last game of Group C at the 2023 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket.
Mali won the game 72-49. And they are looking forward to repeating their feat.
For this, they will lean on Sika Kone, and the likes of Djeneba N’Diaye, Mariam Coulibaly and experienced Kankou Coulibaly.
But Senegal are on a winning streak, after they saw off Egypt and Cameroon in the Classification Round and the Quarter-Finals.
Senegal's slow start to the tournament seems to be a thing of the past. They have also showed a more combative and aggressive face against Cameroon.
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
Other than a spot in the Championship Game, the two finalists will qualify for FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament (WOQT) scheduled for February 2024.
While Nigeria represented Africa at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Mali and Senegal have been craving for a spot at the world’s biggest sporting event, but they missed it.
And if Rwanda get past Nigeria, this will be their first appearance at the OQT.
Mali and Senegal met at the 2019 Women's Pre-Olympic Africa Tournament in Maputo. For history books, Senegal won the clash 58-53.
FIBA