U16 AfroBasket Women: Egypt Crowned Champions After Beating Côte d’Ivoire 66-54 in Final

Egypt Crowned Champions After Beating Côte d’Ivoire 66-54 in Final

Egypt proved to be the best playing side at the 2025 FIBA U16 AfroBasket Women, as a brilliant display saw them defeat Ivory Coast 66-54 in a thrilling final played inside the Petit Stade, Kigali, Rwanda, to win their first-ever title. The Egyptians became the first African champions at the U16 level since West African powerhouse Mali won eight consecutive titles after missing out on the title four times since the tournament started in 2009.

The finalists, however, have secured their places at next year's FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup in the Czech Republic, a massive achievement for the Ivoirans, who have only appeared in the U16 edition of AfroBasket Women twice, debuting in 2013.

Following their semi-final victory over Cameroon, Egypt entered the final with some momentum as they faced a determined Ivorian team, who had also proven to be a relentless opponent after stopping defending champions Mali in the last four and matched Egypt's intensity throughout the match on Sunday.

Joudi Elsayed was the star of the Egyptian side in the final game as she led her team to the title, posting 15 points, grabbing seven rebounds and providing four assists. Her efficiency for the side continued as she finished off three of five two-point attempts and also scored three of seven from behind the arc. Dana Abdalaa was the other big player who contributed to the win for the North African side as she registered 12 points and managed to grab just one rebound.

For the Ivorians, it was definitely a hard loss to take, especially for Jane Mary Diomande, who led all scorers in the game, posting 24 points, grabbed ten rebounds, made five of 12 two-point shots, converted 14 of 20 free throws, but still ended up on the losing side.

The game, which was played at a frantic pace, saw a cautious opening from both sides from the tipoff as the game was tied 10-9, but Egypt finished the quarter on a 12-4 scoring run to close out the quarter leading by nine points at 22-13. Egypt then lost control in the second quarter, losing by nine points as well, and the game was tied heading into the break at 29-29.

The game took a different turn in the second half as Egypt went on scoring runs that broke the game open and built an insurmountable lead with Côte d'Ivoire having no answer as they lost by 16 points in the third quarter (24-8). That was the quarter that decided the game as a late rally by the Ivorians saw them win the final quarter 17-13. Still, it was too little too late with Joudy Elsayed leading the charge, scoring 10 of her 15 points after halftime, even as Jane Diomande was helping the Ivorians play catch-up from the charity line.

The game reflected Egypt's dominance, despite some pushback from Côte d'Ivoire. They recorded 26 points off turnovers and also took 30 points in the paint, controlling the boards at crucial moments.

The Ivorians struggled from their field goal attempts, converting only 15 of 56 and could only muster 3-for-14 from beyond the arc. Their bench, however, contributed 35 points compared to Egypt's 33, but the latter were more efficient and disciplined in the game, enough to make them emerge as the new African Youth Queens in Rwanda.

‍
[Photography of Courtesy of FIBA]