Ivory Coast Secure Crucial Win Over Egypt to Boost World Cup Hopes

Inside the Dakar Arena on Saturday, Ivory Coast needed every ounce of composure it had to hold off a relentless Egypt side knowing fully well that some wins do come easy but this one didn't as the tie saw the Elephants escaping with a 72-66 win in the second round of FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 African Qualifiers. 

Neither team could pull away for long in the game and for every time the Ivorians threatened to make it comfortable, Egypt clawed back into it, and the game turned into the kind of physical, low-scoring contest that tests a roster's nerve as much as its talent. By the final buzzer, it was the Ivorian brilliance in the third quarter that made the difference.

Jean Philippe Dally showed all-round brilliance for the Ivorians as he played with control and was the most efficient for the Elephants. In just under 21 minutes on the floor, he scored 13 points on 3-of-5 shooting, knocked down all 6 of his free throws, grabbed 7 rebounds, and added 2 steals and a block. It must be added that he didn't turn the ball over a single time all night as his play reflected a player who made the game easier for everyone around him. 

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And one of such players around him was David Elie Gassaud who easily was Ivory Coast's top scorer on the day as he finished with a team-high 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 2-of-3 from three-point range, in under 20 minutes. Experienced point guard Solo Diabate was quietly excellent too in the encounter as he added 8 points and 5 rebounds alongside Aboubacar Traoré who despite finishing the game with only 4 points on the stat sheet had his fingerprints all over the biggest moments of the game, from his second-quarter slam to the go-ahead dunk in the third, leading everyone on the floor with 8 rebounds and 4 assists.

For Egypt, Abdelrahman Mohamed fought hard from start to finish, playing over 32 minutes and finishing with 16 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists on 6-of-14 shooting. He kept his team within reach for long stretches, but couldn't quite find enough support to complete the comeback.

The opening quarter saw the Ivorians set the tone early, using a disciplined defensive approach to grab a four-point edge as neither team was interested in an early chase. Execution of play was pretty visible from the teams and the tempo was not going to determine where this was headed but with the Ivorian advantage in the first quarter, the Egyptians responded in the second as they got a bit more physical in order to match the West Africans. 

Aboubacar Traoré threw down a dunk late in the half that got his bench on its feet, an early sign of the athleticism he'd bring out again when it mattered most but it was Egypt who outscored the Ivorians by two in the quarter, and the two teams went into the break locked at 34-32 setting up an exciting second half for the spectators.

After the break, events in the third quarter clearly defined the entire outcome of the game as Egypt actually found its best form of the day, surging to a 39-34 lead with 8:45 still on the clock which was their largest cushion of the game. Ivory Coast steadied itself and clawed back with a good chase and with 1:38 remaining in the quarter, the score sat at a nervy 51-50 in their favor. Then Traoré rose up for an alley-oop slam that pushed the lead to 52-51,that move ultimately was what would end up deciding the game. It kicked off a stretch, carrying into the final quarter, in which Ivory Coast outscored Egypt 16-3, shooting 4-of-5 from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 at the line without a single turnover. 

For the Egyptians, they looked out of breath on the other end and managed just one field goal across that same stretch as Ivory Coast closed out the penultimate quarter having won it 25-19, flipping the momentum of the entire game.

The Elephants carried that momentum straight into the final quarter, extending the run to 16-0 at one stage and ballooning the lead to 64-51 with 9:49 to go. Minutes later, they'd stretch it further still, leading by as many as 17 points at 70-53, with 8:19 remaining. At that point, the game looked settled but the North African side refused to fold, and from 6:07 down to just 23 seconds left, they went on a 10-0 run sparked by Amr Abdelhalim, who scored 3 points and grabbed 3 rebounds in that stretch to cut the deficit from 72-56 all the way down to 72-66. Egypt actually won the final quarter by two points, but it wasn't nearly enough to erase the hole they'd dug themselves in the third. Ivry Coast survived the final possessions rather than cruise through them, but the lead built earlier held up just enough for the West Africans.

Ivory Coast led for nearly 27 minutes of the game to Egypt's roughly 10 minutes, a fair reflection of how the night actually went but ultimately controlled by the team that made its winning run when it counted most. It wasn't a flashy performance, and it certainly wasn't stress-free but in World Cup qualifying games, survival is its own kind of statement, and the toughness exhibited by the Ivorians in the third quarter is what will stick with them heading into their next game.

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[Image/Photo Credit - FIBA Media]

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