DAKAR (Senegal) – The final matches of the group stage of the Women’s Basketball League Africa 2024 (WBLA) will be played on Wednesday. Former champions Ferroviario de Maputo take on ASB Makomeno in a bid to maintain their unbeaten run, while Rwanda Energy Group (REG) play the other local team, Jeanne D’Arc, in Group C for an automatic ticket for the quarter-finals.
Ferroviario is qualified after two victories and will fight for first place. The second match will determine who the second automatic ticket in the group will go to.
Railway favors against ASB Makomeno
Nasir Salé’s Ferroviario remained undefeated with 78-74 and 64-30 victories against REG and Jeanne D’Arc respectively and expectations are high as they face ASB Makomeno of the DRC, who has not yet won a victory.
“We had two good performances and the aim is to remain consistent. Our aim is not to qualify, but to play well as we move forward. We know that Congolese players are traditionally of high quality and we have to be focused and improve our weak points from the last two meetings,” said coach Salé.
The Mozambican team will be led by Silvia Veloso, 26, and Ingvild Mucauro, former African MVP. The Congolese women, for their part, will be able to count on the Zimbabwean Dorcas Marondera and the Malian Aichata Traoré to achieve their first victory.
Can Jeanne D’Arc take over the REG?
Both teams enter the decisive match with a three-point lead, after a 1-1 series over the first two days. Zone 5 silver medalists REG are favorites on paper, having put Ferroviario under pressure during their confrontation (78-74), while the home team lost 64-30.
Julian Martinez’s Rwandan team, led by Ines Nezerwa, Destiny Promise Philoxy and Aminata Ly, has a better shooting advantage than the Senegalese team, which includes Coumba Niangalie and Ndeye Sokhna Konteye, determined to achieve their first victory.
Coach Martinez is hoping Victoria Reynolds, who didn’t play in the last game, will be in the mix, as she was a key part of the team for the Zone 5 playoffs.
Who will qualify as the best third?
FAP of Cameroon in Group A, CNSS of DRC in Group B and the loser of the match between REG and Jeanne d’Arc in Group C are all in the running.
The two best teams will be decided by points differential and Koko Ade’s CNSS, who surprised the outgoing defending champion Alexandria Sporting Club 61-59, is assured of its place.
The chances of FAP, coached by Ange Majolie and which has a differential of -27 points, depend on the outcome of the match between REG and Jeanne D’Arc. The Rwandans enter the last match with a differential of +28, while the Senegalese show a deficit of -11.
FIBA
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