Guinea put in a commanding display in an 83-55 win over Libya to extend their stay in Angola and the defeat for the North Africans means that they have officially exited the competition.
Last Updated on
August 17, 2025
Guinea put on a clinic on Saturday, steamrolling Libya 83-55 in a one-sided Group C blowout at the 2025 AfroBasket. With their quarterfinal hopes still alive, the Syli Nationale came out swinging—and never let up.
From the opening tip, Guinea set the tone with relentless pressure, explosive runs, and lockdown defense, leaving Libya scrambling for answers. The energy was high, the execution sharp, and the scoreboard brutal—Guinea stretched their lead to a whopping 31 points, turning the matchup into a mismatch.
On both ends of the court, it was domination. Offensively, Guinea moved the ball with purpose and flair, slicing through Libya’s defense like a hot knife through butter. On defense, they shut the door tight—smothering every drive, contesting every shot, and owning the paint.
Libya, meanwhile, continued their tournament-long offensive woes. Outside of Sofian Hamad’s gritty 15-point performance, there was little resistance from the North African side. Hamad battled hard to keep his team afloat, but Guinea’s depth, intensity, and rhythm proved too much.
Tidjan Keita came heartbreakingly close to a double-double, dropping 14 points and pulling down 9 rebounds, as Guinea delivered a complete team performance in their 83-55 demolition of Libya at the 2025 AfroBasket. What made the win even sweeter? Three other players joined Keita in double figures, showing just how deep and dangerous this Guinean squad really is.
It all started with Alpha Diallo, who set the tone with a money three-pointer right out of the gate. Despite giving up early free throws to the Libyans, Guinea turned up the heat defensively—and Libya simply couldn't handle it. Back-to-back steals turned into quick buckets, and just like that, the Guineans were up by eight.
By the end of the first quarter, it was already getting out of hand. Guinea led by 15, had drilled 5 threes, and were owning the paint. Their offense flowed, fast breaks finished cleanly, and the shooting—both inside and out—was on point.
The momentum never dipped. Libya continued to turn the ball over, and even when they got free throw opportunities, they couldn't cash in. Guinea, on the other hand, stayed clinical. They knocked down a total of 11 threes in the game, stretching the floor and dismantling Libya’s defense from every angle.
For Libya, only Nasseim Badrush showed any sign of life from deep, hitting their lone three-pointer in the first half. The rest of the team? Ice cold—just 1-for-11 from beyond the arc at halftime, and 3-for-22 by the final buzzer.
Guinea also crushed it on the boards, out-rebounding Libya 53-35, and locked in defensively from start to finish. With a halftime score of 43-28, the writing was already on the wall.
Coach Sam Vincent was obviously very disappointed after the exit and even talked about his future with the team especially with the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers.
"I don't know what the future holds for me with the team. We're going back to Libya. I'll meet with the federation to discuss their plans for the future. Until then, I can't say anything about my future with the team."
Ousmane Drame praised his team and was particularly grateful with their progression in Angola.
"We are happy to be in contention, whether we qualify automatically for the quarterfinals or go through the qualification round."
The final outcome of the game was never really in doubt as the Guineans finished second behind the host nation and qualified for the quarter finals playoff alongside South Sudan in Group C while the Libyans officially crashed out of the 2025 AfroBasket following a third loss in a row. The Guineans will keep a date with Mali for a place in the competition's last 8.
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