Egypt Exposed & Dominated by Canada on Day 1 of U17 FIBA Women's World Cup

Egypt Exposed & Dominated by Canada on Day 1 of U17 FIBA Women's World Cup

Egypt, the 2023 U16 African Championship finalists, faced a tough start against Canada in the 2024 FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup.

Egypt struggled against the dominant North Americans in their opening game, suffering a 95-44 defeat. Canada's performance in their opening game sent a strong statement to the rest of their Group D opponents, leaving the North Africans with much to ponder.

Agot Makeer was the standout player for Canada, delivering an extraordinary first half with 24 points and a performance efficiency valuation of 33. She finished the game with 28 points, including five three-pointers, six steals, and four assists.

One such player was Savannah Swords, who was equally impressive in the front court. She excelled on both ends of the floor, coming within one steal of equalling the all-time record. Swords' individual efforts, concluding the game with 17 points, 19 rebounds, and seven steals, are something for the audience to be proud of.

Canada started the game with a commanding 34-9 lead in the first quarter, setting the tone for the rest of the match. Despite improved defensive efforts in subsequent quarters, Egypt was still overpowered, losing 27-13 in the second quarter, 14-12 in the third, and 20-10 in the fourth.

Egypt's shooting from beyond the arc was particularly problematic, with a dismal 13.3% success rate. Additionally, their ball-handling woes resulted in 28 turnovers, from which Canada scored 25 points. Egypt also struggled on the boards, conceding 61 rebounds, 39 of which were defensive, limiting their second-chance points to just eight.

Coach Emadeldin Mahmoud utilised all 12 players on his roster, each getting at least eight minutes of playing time. Despite the collective effort, only ten players contributed to the final points tally. Egypt's biggest scoring run was 4-0, and they never held the lead at any point in the game.

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[Photography / Imagery Courtesy of FIBA]