FIBA 2027 African Qualifiers: Ivory Coast stun Mali 83-77 in crucial Dakar revenge Job

Revenge was served earlier today in Dakar as Ivory Coast outlasted a furious Mali comeback to win 83-77 and keep their World Cup dream very much alive.

The Elephants who had narrowly lost to the Malians at the last AfroBasket are now flying in the qualifying series with 6 wins, 1 loss, and a red-hot case for Qatar 2027 while the Malians have stumbled recently in the series following two straight losses, first to Angola and today's loss inclusive.

Siriman Kanoute was an absolute menace for Mali, torching the Ivorian defence for a game-high 23 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists that was sadly not enough for his side to register a win but it was the kind of performance that has opponents talking as he proved to be the toughest cover on the floor.

On the winning side, new boy Kobi Simmons, who is a part of a revamped Ivorian roster that has Pacôme Dadiet, Jonathan Cissé and David Elie Gassaus, made his presence felt too in the tie, landing among the game's top statistical performers on debut with 17 points and 4 assists.

Ivory Coast came out fast and controlled the opening frame with some sharp ball movement to lead 27-21 at the first buzzer with Mali staying close but the Elephants' intent was obvious from the tip as they kept the pressure on, winning the second quarter again to lead 41-33 at halftime with a 12-0 run in this period doing the real damage as they stretched out their lead to 16 points.

After the break, Mali finally settled in and showed some fight as they edged the quarter, tightening up defensively and starting to find their shots. The lead was still sizable heading into the fourth, but the momentum had shifted in favour of the Eagles as both teams went into the final quarter.  

Mali erupted with a 15-0 run and that wiped out the Ivorian's points advantage as they turned a comfortable lead into a one-point game with under a minute left. The Elephants however managed to hold their nerve in the closing possessions, making the plays needed to keep Mali at bay and close out the win. The quarter itself finished level at 26-26 but it was the opening three quarters before it that had decided the game.

Neither side lit up the scoreboard from the field with Ivory Coast shooting at 36% as against Mali's 35%. However, the Elephants edged the free-throw line at a rock-solid 72.4%, compared to Mali's 60.9%. The Malians actually shot better inside the arc but couldn't find enough burn from the threes

It was tight all night on the lead-change front too as the game witnessed three lead changes, one tie but Côte d'Ivoire owned the clock, sitting in front for nearly 32 minutes to Mali's 7-and-a-half.

With the win, Ivory Coast moved to 6-1 and look every bit like a team gunning for a third straight World Cup appearance with their consistency so far in this campaign. For Mali, at 5-2 and now on a two-game skid, they suddenly have a fight on their hands to keep their own Qatar dream on track.

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[Photography and Imagery Courtesy of FIBA]

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