Côte d’Ivoire captured their first-ever FIBA U16 AfroBasket title in Kigali, defeating Cameroon in the 2025 final. Led by Irené Raphael Ouédraogo’s dominant double-double and Minty Oka’s scoring brilliance, the Ivorians marked a historic new era for African basketball.
Last Updated on
September 15, 2025
A new U16 AfroBasket champion, Côte d'Ivoire, has been crowned in the capital of Rwanda, Kigali, as the 12-team competition came to a close on Sunday.
The Eric Anderson Affi-led side rode on the brilliance of Irené Raphael Ouédraogo, who registered his first double-double of the tournament, scoring ten points while dominating the boards for a team-high 20. The 14-year-old added three steals and a block, for a 25 in efficiency rating.
His efforts and those of Minty Jean-Philippe Dylan Oka, who led the side on offense, scoring 8-of-19 on the field to finish as the side's top scorer with 18 points, delivered an empathetic victory for the West Africans. He added six rebounds, five steals, four blocks, and two assists for 18 an efficiency rating.
Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon have fought their way into Sunday's showdown, carrying with them the hopes of their countries and the promise of a new era in African basketball.
Coming into the final, Côte d'Ivoire had stunned five-time champions Egypt, who exited the competition without a medal for the first time in the history of the competition. At the same time, Cameroon overcame Mali, the 2017 winners, to secure the other spot in the final.
Oka got action going from range, adding another basket to give the Ivorians an early lead, but Cameroon responded to trail 9-6 five minutes into the match. Another 6-0 run for 15-6 snapped Cameroon in action, going on a similar run of their own, Felix Deumi scoring four, to trail by three (15-12).
A low-scoring second quarter had Cameroon earn the bragging rights, albeit with the slightest of advantages (9-8) to cut their deficit to two (23-21) heading to the locker rooms.
The opening minute of the second half was just as slow, but the Ivorians remained firmly in control. Otys Lilian Seka Yapo scored his only basket of the game in the next 6-0 run that saw the side lead 30-22 in the opening three minutes. A 15-9 run saw the Central Africans trail 38-30.
As they headed into the final stanza, everything fell into place for Côte d'Ivoire. Leading by 13 points (45–32), they kept firing on all cylinders to reach 24–19, while Cameroon tried to stay in contention for as long as possible. However, their efforts came too little, too late, and Côte d'Ivoire went on to claim their first-ever U16 AfroBasket title.
"A big thank you to all those who supported us. We finished undefeated. We knew we’d make it after half-time. We saw that they couldn’t react, and their bench looked like they couldn’t take it anymore.
On our side, we all wanted it more than anything else. We’re qualified for the U17 World Cup, and it’s an honour and a privilege to go there as African champions.” Ouédraogo, Côte d’Ivoire center, told FIBA.basketball.
Two statistics helped Côte d'Ivoire in Kigali. First, they made their presence felt, scoring a mere 46 points, compared to Cameroon's 28 points. Next are the turnovers. Cameroon had a total of 27 turnovers, and Côte d'Ivoire just had 18 points off. Finally, 17 steals closed the deal for the new African champions.
Both sides now turn their focus to next year's FIBA U17 World Cup event, where they will represent the continent.
[Photography Courtesy of FIBA]
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