bird’s African Basketball Roundup: BC Chaux Sport are Congo Cup League champions, Mali dominates at the FIBA U18 Afrobasket and Petro de Luanda represent the continent at the FIBA Intercontinental Cup.

BC Chaux Sport are Congo Cup League champions, Mali dominates at the FIBA U18 Afrobasket and Petro de Luanda represent the continent at the FIBA Intercontinental Cup.

by Silalei Shani

The recently concluded 2024 FIBA Intercontinental Cup saw Africa’s only representative Angolan side, Petro De Luanda, finish 5th in the classification games in the 34th edition of the tournament, hosted at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Petro de Luanda qualified for the tournament as champions of the Basketball Africa League 2024 season and is the first Sub-Saharan African team to do so.

After losing to Al Riyadi on the 3rd day of games, the Angolan side faced Argentina’s Quimsa in a thriller of a game that was won in the 4th quarter 70-64. Down 13 points in the 2nd quarter the Angolans managed to take the lead into the second half and lead with a 10-point advantage going into the 4th quarter. Petro de Luanda needed a clutch jumper to seal the deal and reliable shooting guard Solo Diabate rose up to the task, knocking down a two-pointer to put the game out of Quimsa’s reach.

Abou Gakou was the top scorer for the BAL Champions with 20 points while Solo Diabate went all- round for 15 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.

In South Africa, the continent’s basketballing youth went head-to-head at the FIBA U-18 Afrobasket. Mali’s women’s team extended their continental basketball dominance with a ninth continental crown, defeating Nigeria 76-56. Oummou Koumare was named tournament MVP scoring an immense 31 points in her final game. Not to be left behind, Mali men’s team secured their third title with a 60-51 victory over Cameroon at the University of Pretoria on the back of Youssou Traore’s 15 points and 14 rebounds and Amadou Traore’s 12 points and 14 rebounds. Youssouf Traore clinched the competition’s MVP and was joined on the FIBA U18 Afrobasket All-Star team by Cameroon’s center Amadou Seini, Mali’s Sekou Bagayoko, Rayane Solhi of Morocco and Aginaldo Neto while Rwanda’s teenage sensation Sean William won the tournament’s awards for best scorer and three-point shooter.

BV Chaux Sport beat Kinshasa’s BC Terreur 73-65 in a hotly contested finals game to be declared the 2024 National Cup League champions. The team – from DRC’s restive South Kivu and nicknamed the Gorillas – was founded just three years ago specifically to qualify for the Basketball Africa League and put Congo clubs on the map. Team president, Serge Mudogo, shared his enthusiasm and vision of the team.

“We are happy and very satisfied with everything we have accomplished this season. All the objectives have been achieved. We were crowned champions at the provincial level before being crowned at the national level. It is a great satisfaction.”

Founded in 2021, the South Kivu based team were unable to reach the semi-finals in their first season but saw steady growth with a third-place league finish in their second season and then finally reaching the finals this year.

The match took place at the Stade des Martyrs in front a packed gymnasium. BC Chaux Sport trailed for the better part of the game before taking the lead in the 4th quarter thanks to rigorous defense and an offensive run that carried to the final minutes. The victory is a major achievement for the entire province of South Kivu which has never won a basketball trophy before.

bird story agency