U16 AfroBasket Men: The Young Elephants Remain Perfect with Win Over Angola

The Young Elephants Remain Perfect with Win Over Angola

Cote d'Ivoire's Elephants won their second game in Group A, moving a step closer to the quarter-finals of the ongoing 2025 FIBA U16 AfroBasket.

The match played on Saturday evening, 6 September, saw the Ivorians lead from start to finish, securing a 64-51 victory that leaves them top of the group. They play their last group match on Tuesday, 9 September against hosts Rwanda.

A chaotic opening three minutes, where Antoine Mohamed Konan got things underway for Cote d'Ivoire early to lead 3-2, saw Minty Jean-Philippe Dylan Oka convert from the free throw line to get the Ivorians off on a 6-0 run for 9-2.

Angola's Edilson Pedro scored two off a Ladji Adama Konate foul to make it 9-4, Joseandro Andre and Alfredo Micaba adding a basket each to make it a four-point game at 13-9, forcing coach Eric Anderson Affi into a timeout that did little to change the trajectory of the match. The eventual winners pulled away for a 16-10 opening quarter.

Cote d'Ivoire opened the second with four points to take their lead to double digits (20-10), but Vanilson Domingos scored as the Southern African country clawed back to cut the deficit to five (20-15), with just over four minutes to play. They held their own for a 13-13 quarter to see the West Africans lead 29-23 at halftime.

Irené Raphael Ouédraogo started the leaders off in the second half with an Atche Pierre-Daniel Ezoua steal as they went on a 9-2 run for 38-25 in the first four minutes. Angola responded with a 7-0 run of their own, Joseandro Andre scoring six, including a three to cut their deficit to six at 38-32.

Their momentum was, however, short-lived as they scored just two free throws in the last three minutes, allowing Cote d'Ivoire to take the quarter 17-11 and lead by 12 (46-34). The two sides traded blows in the opening half of the final stanza, Domingos scoring four quick points halfway through to cut the deficit to a single digit at 55-46.

Andre's three down the stretch felt like just a consolation as Angola's fate was sealed, but he finished as his side's top scorer. The Ivorians took the final quarter 18-17 for a 13-point lead.

Dylan Oka and Biza Martial Junior N'goran led the charge for coach Affi's charges, picking double-doubles. The latter scored 13 points, two less than top scorer Konan, and added 15 rebounds, his compatriot going 10/12, in a match where Ouédraogo came a rebound short of a double-double after scoring 10.

Andre, Pedro and Domingos led the offense for Angola, dropping double digits with 14, 13, and 12 points respectively.

It was a slow match and with good reason as the Ivorians finished with 34 fouls, one more than Angola, who will kick themselves for missing 32 of their 54 resulting free throws as the opponent converted 21-of-45, missing 24 times.

The winners dominated the paint 40-20, 31-14 on fast-break points, 14-8 contribution off second chances and with their bench also dominating 16-3.

Angola's loss puts a damper on their perfect start, where they stunned hosts Rwanda 67-56 in the opening match. They will look to bounce back in Sierra Leone on Tuesday.

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[Photography Courtesy of FIBA]