MONROVIA (Liberia) – Seven clubs from FIBA Africa Zone 3 are set to compete in Paynesville City, on the outskirts of the Liberian capital Monrovia, for two tickets to the final phase of the Women’s Basketball League Africa (WBLA) 2024.
The games will take place at the Samuel Kayan Doe Sports Complex Basketball Gym from November 5-10.
This year, the WBLA Zone 3 qualifiers promise to be exciting, especially with a marked improvement compared to the last edition in Abuja, Nigeria, in 2023, which saw the participation of only three teams ( MFM, Nigeria Customs and ASPAC).
This time there will be a fierce battle of teams ready to give their best to secure a place in Dakar, Senegal in December.
The teams that will participate in the competition in Liberia are:
Commissioners Female Basketball Association (Liberia) Invincible Eleven (Liberia) Mountain of Fire and Miracles (Nigeria) Nigeria Customs (Nigeria) Energie Basketball Club (Benin) Société Omnisport de l’Armée (Côte d’Ivoire) Friends Basketball Association FBA (Côte d’Ivoire) ‘Ivory).
The Commissioners defeated Invincible Eleven in the grand final 3-0 in the best of five sets to become Liberian champions.
As the local team, they will look to give a good image of themselves and push Liberian basketball back into the spotlight, knowing that it has been on the sidelines for a long time .
They will benefit from the support of their supporters, who will not fail to flock to the 2,000-seat room to attend the meeting of the best teams in the region.
MFM will be looking to make a strong comeback on the continent after failing to make the zone qualifiers last year, shockingly losing to ASPAC and Nigeria Customs.
In the 2024 season, MFM retained the Nigerian championship title first won last year by defeating Nigeria Customs, 64-53 points, to become champions for the second consecutive year.
Coach Ochuko Lawal says he has learned his lessons and will not take any team for granted this time, while coach Abdulrahman Mohammed will leave no stone unturned for Liberia to secure one of the two available tickets.
FBA won the 2023/24 title in Ivory Coast. They beat SOA 2-0 in the final series.
The FBA closed the campaign with a final victory of 56-41. For a team that has shown a strong presence and defeated former champions, there is something to look forward to as they intend to prove their worth in Liberia.
Société Omnisport de l’Armée (SOA) is a new team in the women’s club championship, but that doesn’t mean they can’t hold their own. Surprises often come from little-known teams, because others find them difficult to handle.
Dakar, the meeting of the month of December
Energie BBC has been preparing with determination for the 2024 WBLA Playoffs. From the words of team president Edwige Adohinzin Hountondji, it appears there is a certain level of confidence.
The official said: “I think the players have been well prepared by the technical staff. Our ambition is to qualify for the final tournament in Senegal and we have made all the necessary arrangements.”
The team’s coach, Oswald Quenum, commented on the team’s progress: “We have strengthened the team and the last few matches allowed us to test these new elements. The level of the team team is promising. We’re not quite there yet, but we think we can go far in this competition. Our goal is to be one of the two best teams that will qualify.
BBC Energy is embarking on this crucial campaign with a clear objective: to qualify for the final phase of the WBLA qualifiers and to honor Benin on the continental scene.
The second edition of the Women’s Basketball League Africa will take place in Dakar, according to FIBA Africa.
Dakar will be the second African city – after Cairo last year – to host the new edition of the FIBA Africa Women’s Basketball League.
Twelve teams from different corners of the continent are expected to participate in the event.
Alexandria Sporting Club are the defending champions after beating Kenya Ports Authority in the final last year in Egypt.
FIBA
