The African silver medalist, eager to make it to the world stage, face Angola in their next fixture, a repeat of the 2025 AfroBasket final, while Uganda continue their search for a win on the continent in over a year when they take on hosts Egypt
Last Updated on
March 1, 2026
For the second game in a row at the ongoing FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers, in Borg Elarab Arena in Alexandria, Egypt, Siriman Kanouté and Oumar Ballo led Mali to victory over Uganda to remain unbeaten.
In a highly entertaining Group D encounter marked by runs on either ends of the court, with the West Africans holding the upper hand in a match that had three lead changes and as many ties, Alhadji Dicko's side picked a convincing 84-73 victory, owning not only the paint (40-22) but also the boards (50-37) in the win.
Kanouté came away with a rebound and assist short of a triple-double, having led Mali in scoring with 27 points. He converted 10 of his 13 attempts from the charity stripe, adding to a 3-for-7 shooting from range and 4-for-8 inside. He added 6 assists to his show to finish with an efficiency rating of 33.
Meanwhile, Ballo, who has played alongside the day's top scorer, Kanouté, for almost a decade since their U17 AfroBasket days, dropped a double-double on 20 points and 10 rebounds. Both teams held double-digit leads at different stages. Still, it was Mali who delivered a dominant second-half surge to put the game to bed, the duo playing crucial roles in the second quarter to keep Mali afloat and in a decisive third-quarter run that restored their lead after Uganda headed to the halftime break in the lead.
"I have to give credit to Uganda. They played hard and made some tough shots. We might have underestimated them a little bit and played their game.Our chemistry is still wanting and their zone defense troubled us. However, we will make adjustments and be ready for Angola ( a match that is a rematch of the AfroBasket 2025 final)," Mali's Power Forward Mamadou Diarra said after the victory.
Uganda's Nike Sibande got action underway off the jump, leading the East Africans to a 7-2 early lead, but Mali worked to assume advantage at 9-7 as they went on to take the quarter 23-17. An 8-0 run early in the second quarter brought Mandy Juruni's Uganda to within a point (26-25), but Mamoudou Diarra's shot from deep, a response to Uganda's back-to-back threes, pulled Mali away 34-25.
Uganda's biggest surge came late in the second quarter, when a 10-0 run, sparked by Sibande's 5 points, brought the gap back to just one at 43-42, veteran shooting guard Robinson Opong leveling the score at 45 from range, before grabbing the lead for the East Africans from the free-throw line for a 48-45 halftime lead. Titus Odeke, Fayed Baale and Opong rose for threes in the opening two minutes of the second period to take their advantage to double digits at 57-47 with 7:52 to play, a difference that was then maintained at 59-49.
However, the relentless Malians made a comeback, going on a 9-0 run to cut their deficit to a single point (59-58). Their most significant run came soon after, going on an 11-0 run late in the third quarter, turning a 61-58 Uganda advantage into a 61-69 Mali lead. Kanoute was at the heart of it, contributing five points and four rebounds during this pivotal sequence.
The eight-point advantage proved crucial for Mali in a low-scoring, almost matched 15-12 final stanza that handed Mali their second win of the group.
Sibande delivered for Uganda with 22 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists, while Robinson Opong drained 5 three-pointers on his way to 24 points.
"We had a much better game compared to our first. Mali is one of the top teams and I am impressed with how we showed up. However, we had a breakdown on offense but we managed to hold them for 37 points on transition which means we contained them with our zone defense. However, we could have rebounded better," Uganda head coach Mandy Jurinu said.
"They (Mali) were composed even when they were down, and kudos to them. For us I can say we are getting better and are executing better both on offense and defense. Just small misplays and lack of poise hurt us a bit today. It stings that we didn't win but we have to brush that off and focus on the next game," Opong, who improved offensively from 3 points to 24, offered.
[Photography Courtesy of FIBA]
