Angola qualify for 2025 AfroBasket following victory over Mozambique

There is always a lot at stake whenever these Zone 6 powerhouses meet. They met twice in 2000 and 2007 for the third place and on both occasions, Angola walked away with silverware. They met again recently, in 2023 for the AfroBasket Qualifiers but this time, Mozambique defeated Angola three times to secure their ticket in the main tournament. Since then, FIBA has made the head-to-head qualifications a 2-game series. Angola knew they needed to win the game by 7 or more points to claim the series.

Angola got off to a fiery start with a 7-0 run. They relied on veteran, Italee Lucas, who converted twice from behind the arc in this quarter. Mozambique replied with a 3 when Anabela Cossa opened their scoring. However, that was a rare flash of brilliance as Angola dominated the rest of the quarter going up 19-6. Perhaps the most impressive aspect was the way Angola were decisive with the ball and tenacious without it. This led to many open shots and good ball rotation. Mozambique however slumped into their usual errors, squandering fastbreak opportunities and making turnovers even when they had the numerical advantage. Angola closed the quarter with the score at 25-12.

The second quarter was a stark contrast to the first for the Angolans. They began with many turnovers and lost that first quarter precision when shooting. Mozambique capitalized on this and went on a 14-1 run. Anabela Cossa and Ingvild Mucauro showed their pedigree in this quarter as they dissected the Angolan defense and led them to foul trouble. Mozambique had 10 trips to the free-throw line where they were more accurate than they were in Game 1. The Mozambicans managed to cut the deficit to just one point with the score at 32-31 in favor of Angola at the half.

Angola went back to first quarter settings and executed their inbound play with precision when Italee Lucas converted a 3 to start the quarter. This energized her teammates as the crowd got louder and played the role of a sixth man. The two teams continued to trade baskets but Italee Lucas, APR shooting guard, could not be denied a bucket. This continued before a late run by Mozambique to take the quarter by 6 with the score at 53-46.

There was nothing to separate these two sides despite continuous efforts by Mozambique to try and keep the game below 6 points. They kept Angola one point ahead of them with just under 2 minutes left and seemed to have found a rhythm before Italee Lucas sprung to the fore with an exciting display. Mozambique now desperate to keep the difference below 6 points, began to take ill-advised shots and lost their formation. The score was now 58-64 in favor of Angola and it seemed the game was headed to overtime until Mozambique’s Lhavanguane fouled Isabel Fernando with just 5 seconds to go. She split the pair and made the second free-throw. Coach Macedo made some tactical changes to defend the last 5 seconds and they did just that without committing any fouls. Angola won the game 65-58, just enough to see them return to the continental competition after a long hiatus.

Italee Lucas led all scorers with 28 points and grabbed 8 rebounds to go with that. Sara Caestano, just 21 years old, recorded another double-double for her nation with 10 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists. The Portuguese-based forward proved that she is ready to carry the baton for her nation moving forward. Christina Matiquite, who plays locally for Inter Clube, also recorded 15 points and 8 rebounds. Despite the valiant effort from Mozambique, it is Angola who got their revenge of 2023 and now head to Abidjan for 21st participation at the Women's AfroBasket.

[Photography and Imagery Courtesy of FIBA]