Mali complete double swoop at U18 AfroBasket

The West African country of Mali celebrated an additional triumph on Saturday night, securing their third FIBA U18 AfroBasket title in South Africa, to complete a double swoop after the women’s team extended their continental hegemony by winning a ninth continental crown.

The final showcased a clash between continental giants Mali, a seasoned team with two previous titles, and minnows Cameroon, competing for the first time and aiming for their inaugural championship.

Mali’s 60-51 win over Cameroon was orchestrated by Youssouf Traore who reminded the masses and viewers of his phenomenal talent, delivering a standout performance with 15 points and 14 rebounds. His teammate Amadou Traore also contributed significantly with a double-double of 12 points and 14 rebounds, while Sekou Bagayoko added 12 points to the tally.

For Cameroon, Amadou Seini led the charge with his double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. The first quarter saw both teams exchanging baskets, with Mali briefly taking a 10-9 lead thanks to a three-pointer from Chatare Baradji. Although Mali had a chance to build on their lead, Daryl Baya’s impressive block thwarted their efforts with the quarter ending 10-10.

Baradji's second-quarter triple initially extended Mali's lead, but a deep three from Gregory Kemet evened the score at 13-13. The game remained fiercely competitive, particularly in the paint where both teams leveraged their size. After Yves Minlend’s lone free throw, Mali surged to their largest lead of the game at 22-14, with contributions from Youssouf Traore and Diarra.

Cameroon narrowed the gap to just one point through contributions from Herman Bel, Ulrich Ngono, and Minlend. However, Mali finished the quarter strong, with a basket from Bagayoko and a three-pointer from Mamadou Diarra, ending the half with a 27-21 lead. Mali dominated in second-chance points (15-6) and had an edge from their bench (10-5).

The third quarter saw Seini make his mark, scoring crucial points including a free throw after a technical foul on Diarra. Freddy Tchakounte, Bel, and Seini all contributed to tie the game at 31. With under three minutes remaining in the quarter, Bagayoko hit a crucial three-pointer, and despite being fouled on a drive, he helped Mali to a 39-32 lead. Though the quarter tied at 15-15, Mali built on their second-quarter lead to maintain a six-point advantage, ending the quarter at 42-36.

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Cameroon’s efforts to close the gap included a put-back by Baya and a three-pointer from Kemet, which reduced Mali’s lead to 42-41. However, Mali responded strongly, with Doumbia scoring consecutive baskets to push the lead back to five points at 46-41. Although Kemet’s floater cut the lead to four (50-46), Traore’s free throws and Bagayoko’s late basket secured the win for Mali, clinching their third title.

Having averaged 12.8 points and 16.2 rebounds, Youssouf Traore clinched the competition’s MVP and was joined on the FIBA U18 AfroBasket All-Star by Cameroon’s center Amadou Seini, Mali’s Sekou Bagayoko, Rayane Solhi of Morocco and Angola’s Aginaldo Neto while Rwanda's teenage sensation Sean William won the tournament’s awards for best scorer and three-point shooter.

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[Photography / Imagery Courtesy of FIBA]