FIBA Africa Zone 2 Weekly Review: 29/07/2024

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MALI

Stade Malien’s ambitions for total domination of Mali’s domestic championship are well on course after both the men’s and women’s teams sailed through to the ultimate game of the local league.

In the men’s category, Stade Malien will go up against AS Police in the final. Stade Malien heads into the fixture with a psychological edge after beating AS Police 71-65 during the playoffs to consolidate their unbeaten run.

 In the women’s category, Stade Malien will seek revenge against Djoliba AC. Djoliba had previously humbled StadeMalien in the playoffs, hitting them 92-73.

The playoff final, a five-game series tips off August 1, 2024, with the team that wins three of the five games crowned champions of Mali’s domestic league.

SENEGAL

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The head coach of Senegal’s women’s basketball team Otis Hughley Jr. has set to work ahead of future competitions. The former coach of Nigeria has been supervising the first phase of a training camp in Dakar that has brought together 26 players. The second phase of the training gathering to begin on August 1, 2024, will involve 18 players as the side continues gearing up for the women's pre-qualification tournament for the2026 World Cup in Rwanda will be played from 19 to 25 August 2024 in Kigali.

Otis Hughley Jr. who recently granted a press conference, told Senegalese reporters that he’s excited to lead the team, opining that Senegal has tremendous talent before promising to do everything possible to return the team to continental domination.

In the meantime, Senegal’s under-18 boys’ team has upped the ante in their preparation for the 2024 FIBA U18 AfroBasket slated for August in South Africa. The team is keen on a podium finish after ranking fifth during the 2022 edition in Madagascar.

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On the domestic scene, ASC Ville Dakar will represent Senegal at the 2025 Basketball Africa League. ASCVD thrashed Dakar University Club (DUC) 65-46 to lift their first domestic trophy. The league final played at the Marius Ndiaye stadium brought together 4200 spectators. In the women’s category, the final of the domestic championship was a replay of the men’s final as ASC Ville Dakar clashed with DUC. ASCVD mauled DUC 75-41 to secure their fifth consecutive trophy, becoming the only team to enact such a feat in the past 20 years in Senegal’s domestic league.

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[Photography / Imagery Courtesy of FIBA, Record & Basket Senegal]

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