FIBA Africa Zone 6 Weekly Review: 02/02/2025

FIBA Africa Zone 6 Weekly Review: 02/02/2025

The African basketball community was surprised to hear the news of Carlos Morais and Jone Pedro parting ways with Petro de Luanda. This was especially surprising because the Angolan side has just completed the treble after winning the Angolan Super Cup, Unitel Basket and the long-awaited BAL. The club is on a historic run but the two stars who have won every honor with the side had a much-reduced role after the arrival of the new coach. Morais who wants to represent his nation as they host the AfroBasket in August needed as much exposure so he can still represent his nation.

The same rings true for Pedro. What was most surprising was not that the duo left Petro or that they went to the same club but rather the fact that they joined Petro’s nemesis, Interclubbe. Despite the fact that he is 39 this year, Morais is still playing like he is in his prime. The guard, often referred to as the greatest African player of all time, still has more he wants to achieve despite his already illustrious career. Interclubbe will be looking to challenge the defending champions in the quest for the national title which guarantees them participation at BAL.

The Zambian Super League playoffs are edging to a close with the semis and finals in all divisions taking place. Buffaloes managed a comeback to win 2 straight games and eliminate Lusaka Basket after a game-one defeat. They went on to win the next two games by an average margin of 22 points. They will face the defending champions, Matero Magic. Matero Magic have been dominant from the very first tip-off and asserted their dominance after winning their Road To BAL division in Harare before succumbing in Nairobi at Elite 16. Their ambitions have not changed, regardless of that and they will be looking to return. Lusaka Basket Queens took game-one of the finals against Green Buffaloes and will be looking to secure the title in the second game. However, there is very little separating the two sides as Basket Queens only one by one point, 68-67. In the B League, Kabwe Legends will take on Lilanda Heat in search of lifting the trophy and also promotion to the A League. It is an action-packed weekend for the basketball community in Zambia.

The final Zone 6 qualifiers for FIBA Women’s AfroBasket 2025 will take place in Angola this week where Angola will take on Mozambique in a two-game series. The stakes could not be higher as the winner earns a ticket to the tournament in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire in July. Ingvild Mucauro, Mozambican forward, has put the world on notice after a successful outing in Dakar with her club, Ferroviario Maputo, where they won the second ever WBLA championship. The forward showed she could do it all on the court as she recorded an impressive stat-line of 12.5 points, 7.7 rebounds,4.3 assists and a whopping 4.8 steals per game. Perhaps her best game was in the final against Egyptian heavyweight, AL Ahly, where she recorded 18 points,7 rebounds, 4 assists and a game-high 7 steals to help her team secure the title. She is going to play a key role for her nation this week as they seek to return to the continental stage. Her leadership, experience and skills will be relied on in this quest for continental appearance.

 [Imagery and Photography Courtesy of FIBA, Interclubbe, Midlands and BAL]