Game Report: The Leopards of the Democratic Republic of the Congo opened their account in Dakar with a nail-biting win against Mali in the hopes of securing a ticket to Angola next August for the Men’s AfroBasket.
Last Updated on
November 23, 2024
The Congolese Leopards took on the Lions of Mali on the opening day of the AfroBasket Qualifiers in Dakar. With much at stake, both countries knew just how important it was to record a win as they were in the pool of death. A star-studded Malian team got off to a good start behind the FUS Rabat forward, Aliou Diarra. He dominated the paint early in the game with some electrifying plays.
His ability to rim-run put the Congolese defence on the backfoot early. The Congolese also pressured the Malians, smothering perimeter defence that led to early turnovers. The Congolese captain, Rolly Fula, struggled to get going as it was a slow shooting day for him with many misses, but coach Perrin relied on his defence and leadership, which paid dividends. Shekinah Munanga hit a contested mid-range jump shot late in the quarter to bring the game to within two points. That shot inspired the Leopards as the quarter ended at 17-15 to Mali.
With the wind now in the sails of the Congolese, coach Michel Perrin looked to his bench to add the defensive pressure they ended the first quarter with. They answered the call by limiting Mali to only 9 points in the quarter.
The big man from ADA Blois in France, Florent Thamba, dazzled the crowd with an emphatic two-handed jam to add salt to the wounds of the Malians. Despite this heroic display of defence from the Congolese, they could not stop Siriman Kanouté, who would end the game with 16 points.
He was a handful for the Congolese in the paint, along with his countryman Aliou Diarra. Jordan Sakho also made meaningful contributions towards the efforts of this Congolese side with some offensive rebounds that offered second-chance opportunities to his team. The Congolese side went to the halftime break with a slim lead of 29-26.
With only possession separating the two sides and the stats being very similar, one could not separate the two teams. Mali started the half with suffocating defense that led to many fast break points. The Congolese defence was also caught sleeping when Siriman Kanouté went right through the middle for an uncontested dunk. This forced a timeout from Coach Perrin and his team came back with some newfound energy.
However, they struggled to keep Mali off the glass as they gained multiple second-chance opportunities. Ibrahim Djambo of Mali also caught heat behind the arc as he shot 5/9 in the game. His impressive shooting kept the Lions in the game. Congolese captain Rolly Fula found his stroke with two crucial three-point shots that would keep the Malians at bay. The quarter ended with the score at 49-44 in favour of the Congolese.
With the game being so close, both teams needed a moment of brilliance and some heroic plays to separate these evenly matched teams. Christian Lutete answered the call. The Bosnians-based guard found his rhythm and inspired his team with breathtaking plays. He led all scorers with 20 points, but the timing was more impressive. Despite this, Ibrahim Djambo would respond as he continued his impressive shooting.
He ended with 18 points, and all his field goals came from behind the arc. He was very efficient as he shot the ball at 56% and was 100% on the free-throw line. Despite this valiant effort from Mali, the Congolese managed to hold on and win by a hair’s breadth with the final score of 72-64. Aliou Diarra of Mali recorded a double-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and five steals, showing he can do it on both ends of the floor. Christian Lutete of the Leopards recorded 20 points and six rebounds, while his countryman, Jordan Sakho, recorded 16 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. He had the following to say after the game:
It was not easy but were well prepared. We have some new players but remained focused throughout the 40minutes of play. Mali made a few mistakes, and we tried to capitalize on those. We played with patience and stuck to our game.
The Congolese will take on Morocco next, and a win will put them in a favourable position to qualify. They know this will not be an easy game as the Atlas Lions are a well-built team and will look to make the most of this wildcard.
[Photography / Imagery Courtesy of FIBA]
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