Three of the four semifinalists are familiar to this stage of the competition, but hosts Rwanda - who reached the semis for the first time - come up with an upset.
It's the 2023 Women's AfroBasket semifinals day in Kigali where Rwanda take on reigning champions Nigeria at 6PM, Kigali Time, while Senegal go up against Mali at 9PM.
Both Mali and Nigeria are headed to the Final Four with a 3-0 mark each, while Senegal (2-2) and Rwanda (2-1) tasted some costly defeats on the road.
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Rwanda Vs Nigeria
The hosts are on a 2-1 winning streak. They recovered from their loss to Angola in the Group Phase to roar back with a hard-fought 66-61 victory over East African rivals Uganda in the quarterfinals.
The home support has partly played a part in their road to the semifinals but Rwanda is so much more than just fans. They have the skills, players who make the difference at any time and a shared dream make history together by winning the championship.
Never has a Rwandan team reached the Semi-Finals before and Cheikh Sarr’s girls are ready to let anyone, including African basketball queen Nigeria, take the dream away from them.
But Nigeria also has a dream. This time, the D’Tigresses are chasing their fourth consecutive championship at the FIBA Women's AfroBasket.
Senegal Vs Mali
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 the likes of Sika Kone, Djeneba N’Diaye, Mariam Coulibaly and experienced Kankou Coulibaly.
But Senegal are back with a two-game winning streak, after they saw off Egypt and Cameroon in the Classification Round and the Quarterfinals.
Senegal's slow start to the tournament seems to be a thing of the past. They have also shown a more combative and aggressive face against Cameroon.
What's at Stake?
Other than a spot in the final of the Women’s Afrobasket, 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 gets 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.