Dakar, Dec 3 (APS) – The necessary arrangements have been made for the smooth running of the 28e edition of the African Women’s Basketball League scheduled for Dakar starting next Friday, assured Tuesday the president of the ASC Ville de Dakar, Yatma Diaw.
The Dakar club will welcome its African peers, who are champions in their country.
These are 12 clubs which will come from seven countries: Al Ahly (Egypt), ASB Makomeno (DR Congo), Rwandan Patriotic Army (Rwanda), CNSS (DR Congo), Ferroviario Maputo (Mozambique) , Armed Forces and Police Basketball (Cameroon), Friend’s Basketball Association (Ivory Coast), Mountain of Fire and Miracles (Nigeria), Nigeria Customs (Nigeria), Rwanda Energy Group (Rwanda), Sporting Alexandria (Egypt), in addition to ASC Ville de Dakar.
The 28e edition of the African Women’s Basketball League will be held at the Marius-Ndiaye stadium in Dakar, from Friday December 6 to Sunday December 15. The draw will take place on Thursday December 5.
”Organizationally, everything went well. Hotel reservations have been made. The delegations are starting to arrive. The renovation work on the Marius-Ndiaye stadium is almost complete. By tomorrow (Wednesday), all the work will be done,” assured Yatma Diaw in an interview with the APS.
On a sporting level, ASC Ville de Dakar has done good preparation and is ready to start the competition, according to its president.
”Our goal being to win the tournament, we decided to organize it to increase our chances […] We have also made recruitments to strengthen the squad and increase our chances,” he said.
ASC Ville de Dakar, five-time champion of Senegal, has “recruited” several basketball players, including Fatou Pouye, the American Andreona Keys, Aminata Ndong, Fatou Diagne and the Malian Kadidia Maïga, according to Yatma Diaw.
”We expect a great participation from the public, who we invite to come in large numbers to support the team,” he added.
ASC Ville de Dakar achieved the ”Grand Slam” last season by winning the championship, the League Cup, the Dakar Mayor’s Cup and the Senegal Cup for girls.
Senegal, winner of four tournaments organized at home
Mohamed Doumbia, one of his basketball players, won the trophy for best player of the year. Madjiguène Sène, from the same club, was voted best basketball player of the year.
ASC Ville de Dakar coach Moustapha Gaye has published a list including 12 players expected to take part in the competition.
Maty Mbaye, Ndèye Ndiaye, Kouna Ndao, Ndèye Wathie, Ndoumbé Mbodj, Elisabeth Daboue and Founé Cissoko were selected, like the five other ”recruited” basketball players.
ASC Ville de Dakar took fifth place at the end of the 2022 edition of the African Cup of Basketball Champion Clubs.
The African Women’s Basketball League, or FIBA Africa Women Basketball League, replaced the African Cup of Women’s Basketball Champion Clubs after the 2022 edition. It is a competition organized by FIBA Africa, the body responsible for African basketball.
Each year it brings together the women’s basketball teams that have won their country’s national championship.
The first edition of the African Women’s Basketball League took place in Senegal and was won by AS Bopp Basket Club in 1985. The country has also hosted three other editions (1993, 1997 and 1999) won by Dakar University. Club.
Senegal is the third most successful country in the competition, with four trophies. Twenty-five years after the last edition in Dakar, Senegal is hosting this competition this year, for the fifth time.
Angola is the most successful country with eight trophies: five for Grupo Deportivo Interclube, three for Deportivo Primeiro de Agosto. Mozambique is the second country in the competition, with seven trophies.
SK/ESF
