Tunisia will appear at the FIBA Women's U18 AfroBasket for the seventh time, and are returning to the continental showdown for the first time since 2016. As a former winner, they know that expectations are high.
Last Updated on
September 2, 2024
Jonathan Oriant
Staff Writer
Tunisia head to South Africa, where they will play in the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket for the seventh time in their history. Returning to FIBA Africa’s flagship event for young women after their 2016 appearance, the North Africans are on their way to prove that their recent loss in the Zone 1 Qualifiers Finals against Morocco was just a bump in the road.
There is something traumatic about losing a final in the final seconds. And the Tunisian U18 women’s squad won’t say otherwise.
Hosting the tournament back in July, they registered a perfect run in the Group Phase, overcoming Algeria and Morocco, before giving in to Morocco in the deciding game.
The shot from downtown in the ultimate seconds by Morocco’s Eiza Louveton must still be haunting the Tunisian players. Though they were defeated, they made it to the Final Phase of the U18 Women’s Afrobasket, which was their primary goal.
When Tunisia began their preparations for the qualifying phase of the tournament, the coaching staff called on a large group of players. Gradually, this group was reduced. But among the lucky players called up is the same backbone of the squad that played in the U16 AfroBasket a year earlier.
Captain Nour Horchani (13.3 points & 6.7 rebounds per game), Yoldez Ben Belaid and Youmna Zaghouani have joined other players such as Ines Ben Rejeb, Malak Chehidi and Souad Garna, all promoted from the U16 group.
The Tunisians therefore have no shortage of experience. But will it be enough to overcome Cameroon, South Africa and Rwanda?
Tunisia have qualified for the U18 AfroBasket finals for the seventh time in their history. The nation already won this competition in 2004, when it hosted what was then the African U18 Championship.
Since then, the Tunisians have only returned to the podium once, in 2008, when the cities of Nabeul and Tunis hosted the tournament. This was followed by a series of two fourth-place finishes and three sixth-place finishes. They missed out on the 2018, 2020 and 2022 editions, and now return to the African stage with the ambition of regaining their place in the continental Top 5.
[Photography / Imagery Courtesy of FIBA]
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