Mozambique Rout Guinea to Reach 2025 Women’s AfroBasket Quarterfinals

Mozambique booked their place in the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket with an emphatic 91-38 demolition of Guinea in Wednesday’s opening game of the Classification Round for the Last Eight in Kigali.

In a contest that quickly turned one-sided, Mozambique erased an early five-point deficit and never looked back, delivering the tournament’s most dominant win so far, a 53-point margin that also marked Guinea’s third consecutive game conceding 90 or more points.

Leia Dongue led Mozambique’s balanced attack with a game-high 17 points and eight rebounds, while head coach Nasir Sale’s strategy of rotating his full bench paid off handsomely. All 12 Mozambican players not only logged at least six minutes but also got on the scoresheet, reinforcing the team’s depth and collective strength heading into a high-stakes clash with Mali.

“We win games quarter by quarter,”

Sale emphasized after the game.

“Today, the team showed great improvement defensively, and we’re going to keep building on this momentum.”

Guinea opened the scoring in style, with Aicha Mara drilling a three-pointer, and Masseny Kaba adding two free throws to make it 5-0. For a brief moment, it looked like the West Africans might replicate the spirit that saw them upset Angola in 2023.

But Mozambique responded like a seasoned squad. Carla Covane and Silvia Veloso broke the drought, and Dongue took over with back-to-back scores, a fast-break layup and a hook shot in the paint to give Mozambique their first lead at 8-5. That lead would only grow.

From that point on, Guinea fell into a scoring black hole, going four straight minutes without a bucket, while Mozambique ignited a 10-0 run that cracked the game wide open. By the end of the first quarter, the Southern Africans had blitzed their way to a commanding 27-9 lead. Mozambique’s Perimeter Punishment

Mozambique’s perimeter shooting buried any hopes of a Guinea comeback. They nailed five triples in the first quarter alone and finished the game with 12 makes from beyond the arc on 40 attempts. Silvia Veloso and Chanaya Pinto were particularly active from deep, stretching Guinea’s defense and creating driving lanes for the bigs. Pinto, who added 10 points, praised her teammates’ unselfish play.

“They find me for open threes and give me the confidence to play at a high level,”

she said.

“If I wasn’t playing at this level, I’d have already quit like Michael Jordan.”

Statistically, Guinea were overwhelmed in every category. They turned the ball over 16 times in the first half alone, leading to 21 points for Mozambique. By halftime, the scoreboard read 50-20, a sign of complete domination at both ends.

After battling hard in the group phase but falling to Senegal and Uganda by 44 and 37 points respectively, Guinea entered Wednesday’s matchup needing a spark. Instead, they looked fatigued and disjointed. Masseny Kaba was the only bright spot, scoring 11 points and trying to anchor her side amid the onslaught.

“We didn’t prepare properly, and it showed,”

said Aicha Mara.

“We’re tired, and it’s been a tough tournament. Every two years, the competition gets harder. We’ll regroup and try to come back stronger.”

For Mozambique, the win was more than just a ticket to the quarterfinals  it was a statement. With Mali awaiting in the Last Eight, Sale knows the margin for error shrinks from here on out.

“We respect Mali,”

Sale said.

“They’re one of the top teams. But we’re going to prepare for them like they’re preparing for us. It’s going to be a battle.”

Mozambique will carry not only momentum but also confidence into that battle, having just recorded the most lopsided victory of the tournament. For Guinea, the road ends here  a campaign marked by struggle, but also by the grit to keep fighting until the final buzzer.