U16 AfroBasket Men: Cameroon Edge Mali 61-56 to Reach First-Ever Final

Cameroon Edge Mali 61-56 to Reach First-Ever Final

Cameroon are through to the 2025 U16 AfroBasket men final after seeing off former champions Mali 61-56 in a closely contested finish. 

Heading to the clash as the underdogs against the reigning bronze medalist, the Central Africans had the numbers in their favour as they played a side fielding seven players after five were allegedly disqualified for being overage.

Mali, however, in signature fashion, fought to the very bitter end, momentarily taking the lead in the fourth quarter, coming from a 14-point deficit. The Central Africans remained calm even under pressure, outscoring the West Africans 21-18 in the final quarter to reach the final. 

The victory not only gives Cameroon the chance to play for their maiden title in their first time of asking when they take on Cote d'Ivoire, but also qualifies them for the FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup 2026. 

Nolan Ngangmeni, was once again, hitting the 20-point mark with 23 after shooting 5-of-11 from range and converted six free throws, adding a basket in the paint.  He also provided three assists and collected four rebounds, finishing with an efficiency rating of 16. 

Back-to-back threes from Ngangmeni and Luther Maboula gave Cameroon control early, the former adding two more before the halfway mark for a 16-5 lead, shutting Mali down in the remaining five minutes of the quarter to establish a double-digit lead and extend their advantage to 14 points (22-8) by the end of the first quarter. 

A 10-4 run for Mali in the opening half or the second quarter cut their deficit to eight, adding five more points in the final two and a half minutes of the quarter to closed the gap to four points (33-29) by half-time. In a low-scoring third quarter, Mali kept knocking and were level at 38 points but Bayero Aliyou scored off a layup to see his side lead 40-38 heading to the final quarter. 

Idrissa Maiga and Mohamed Keita scored three in the opening minute, the former converting from the charity stripe to hand Mali their first lead at 41-40. Aliyou and Ngangmeni dropped five quick points within a minute to pull away, forcing Mali into a timeout. 

The Malians rallied to level the score at 47, Moustapha Oumar Doumbia's basket off a Lenny Maxime Djoumna turnover giving the former champions two-point lead. But a three-point play for Felix Deumi and a trey from Ngangmeni ensured Cameroon remained safe.

With just over two minutes remaining, Olivier Ngoumou extended the lead to 55–49. Moustapha Doumbia responded with four quick points to keep Mali in contention, before Ngangmeni stepped up and calmly converted four free throws.Bakary Ballo rose from range to pull Mali within striking distance at 59–56, but once again, Ngangmeni had the last say, hitting two clutch free throws to seal the victory. 

For the win, Augustin Mouele-coached Cameroon collected 21 offensive rebounds to score 10 crucial second-chance points, compared to Mali’s six for 10 rebounds. Mali dominated the paint 36-24and went on a 32-9 performance from fast breaks to keep Cameroon close. The eventual winners, however, capitalised on their shooting from deep, scoring of 29 attempts against Mali's 1-of-17, a static that made all the difference.

Cameroon's bench also made an impact, contributing 22 points, led by Deumi with 14. Mali will now fight a familiar opponent, Egypt, in the third place match for a chance to be on the podium, the North Africans having been stunned by Cote d'Ivoire to miss out on the final. Cameroon, meanwhile, have already achieved more than was expected as debutants and have everything to play for against the Ivorians who made it to the championship game for the first time in five appearances. 

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[Photography Courtesy of FIBA]