The FIBA Women's Afrobasket tournament going on in Kigali is in full swing as teams continue to deliver top notch performances from Africa’s finest players.
In what stands out as arguably the most entertaining Women Afrobasket match so far, Uganda on Saturday left everything on the floor inside the BK Arena to stun pre-tournament favorites Senegal and fire a warning to the rivals that they are not in Kigali just to perform.
Egypt beat DR Congo 89-78 as Côte d’Ivoire put the slow start to the tournament behind to bounce back with win over Angola while Mozambique ran riot to thrash Guinea 99-40 in a match that visiting Mozambican president Filipe Nyusi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame attended.
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In general, here is a recap of game results and standout performers from each matchup.
DR Congo 78 - 89 Egypt
Egypt's guard Nadine Mohamed Sayed Soliman stole the show in Pharaohs’ win over DR Congo, dazzling the crowd with her skills.
Sayed dropped an impressive 34 points, 10 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists. Small forward Meral Abdelgawad contributed 16 points, while center Raneem Elgedawy added 15 points to secure a victory for Egypt.
On the DR Congo side, Mariana Muadi and Cecile Nyoka showcased their talents, dropping 21 and 19 points, respectively although it was not enough to help the Congolese side overcome Egypt.
Mozambique 99-40 Guinea
To see President Filipe Nyusi turning up, alongside his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame, to support his country from the stands inside BK Arena boosted Mozambican women team’s energy and confidence to deliver probably double of what they could have done in 99-40 win over Guinea.
Mozambique were a dominant force in this matchup, with power forward Leia Dongue leading the charge. She not only scored 25 points but also wowed the crowd with a buzzer-beater three-pointer at halftime, giving her team an overwhelming 47-12 lead against Guinea.
Guinea's shooting guard Fatoumata Jallow put up a strong fight with 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists but her individual output couldn’t help the team.
Uganda 85 - 83 Senegal
A nail-biting clash and most entertaining game that Kigali has witnessed so far. It was a roller-coaster of emotions, with Uganda and Senegal taking turns in the lead. In the end, only two points separated Uganda and Senegal as the Gazelles too the Arena by storm after holding their nerve to register their first win in Women’s Afrobasket 2023.
Jannon Jaye Otto was the hero for Uganda as her 21 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists made a stand contribution to the East African country’s result.
Another star player on Uganda's side was Jane Asinde, who scored 20 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists in he heated encounter.
Backed by their passionate fans Senegal made some incredible performance with forward Aya Traore leading the way with an impressive 29 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists while Cierra Janay Dillard added 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist.
They kept pressing Uganda in the final seconds in an attempt to force the game to Overtime but Ugandans defended well to keep them at bay.
Cote D'Ivoire 72 - 69 Angola
The Elephants quickly forgot about Friday’s defeat against hosts Rwanda to focus on how they would successfully come back to winning ways.
And it worked for them when Djefarina Diawara’s heroics inspired the team to a hard-fought victory over Angola.
Diawara contributed 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist as star point guard Safiétou Kolga also played a vital role with 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists to lead the team to the triump by just a three-point lead.
Angola's small forward Sara Caetano and Cacia Antonio gave their best efforts, scoring 18 and 12 points, respectively. They were so close but Ivorians looked better prepared to win the battle.
Action continues on Sunday as Rwanda returns to the court to face Angola.
Full fixture schedule
Guinea Vs Cameroon 12PM (Kigali Time)
Egypt Vs Nigeria 3PM
Angola Vs Rwanda 6PM
Senegal Va Mali 9PM