Game Report: In Cairo, the East African island of Madagascar defied expectations to secure their historic first-ever AfroBasket Qualifiers, defeating group rivals Central African Republic.
Last Updated on
February 26, 2024
Jonathan Oriant
Staff Writer
In Cairo, the East African island of Madagascar defied expectations to secure their first-ever AfroBasket Qualifiers'. Led by coach Alphonse Ravonimbola, the team, fuelled by the relentless Elly Randriamampionona, overcame a challenging start to clinch a 76-69 win against Central Africa Republic (CAF) in Group D's opening window.
Randriamampionona, a sharpshooter, put on a show scoring 22 points, delivering 7 assists, and making 4 steals, guiding Madagascar to their historic milestone. Despite a shaky first half, the coach's halftime adjustments spurred the team to a dominant third quarter and a lead in the fourth, securing the historic triumph.
Reflecting on the win, Elly expressed:
"We had a tough start, but the coach motivated us to believe in ourselves. We rallied in the third quarter and held on to secure the win. It's a significant achievement for the team, and we're motivated to go all the way and qualify for the continental championship."
Madagascar faced adversity early, trailing 6-1, but recovered to take an 18-17 lead by the end of the first quarter. However, a challenging second quarter saw CAF take a 37-29 lead into halftime. Despite Madagascar's proficiency in three-point shooting, they struggled in the first half, sinking only one of their 14 attempts.
The third quarter was a test of resilience for Madagascar, narrowing the gap to 49-46. Randriamampionona's three-pointer brought them level at 60, and back-to-back treys gave them their first lead since the second quarter, 63-60. The game intensified, and Madagascar maintained their lead, ultimately securing the 76-69 victory.
Coach Ravonimbola acknowledged the team's impressive second-half performance but highlighted the need for adjustments in the next phase.
"We celebrate this historic feat well aware that we have a few changes to make ahead of the next phase to help us qualify. Bringing in more experienced players will give us a chance at qualification," he stated.
In contrast, CAF coach Sylvain Lautie attributed the loss to his team's second-half struggles, citing a shift towards individualism and poor decision-making.
"We had a rather good first half but in our effort to keep the lead, concentrated more on offence in the second half, and we lost the defensive battle, giving them way to score 45 points. We also took some bad shots as well, and that didn’t help us. Now, we need to regroup, analyse our performance in this window and hope to come back stronger in the next phase to qualify,” Lautie remarked.
With this defeat, CAF heads to the next phase with 0-3 record, aiming to rebound from this poor run in the subsequent games.
