MONROVIA, Liberia – The Women’s Basketball League (WBLA) Zone 3 Playoffs Semifinal arrived with so much anticipation and anxiety for the teams involved.
After the preliminary matches which saw seven teams divided into two groups A and B, four teams emerged for the semi-finals. FBA will face Energie BBC while the Nigerian Customs will face MFM.
The Samuel Kayon Doe Arena is expected to come alive during these matches which will take place on a public holiday, which will attract fans to this venue with a capacity of 2,000, despite the elimination of the Commissioners and of the Invincible Eleven, home favorites.
FBA aims for historic victory against Énergie
Ivory Coast’s national champions, FBA, are in high spirits after their two consecutive victories in Group B and they are not ready to let up the pressure as the semi-final against Énergie BBC approaches.
This is the first time that FBA is participating in the Zone 3 qualifiers and they intend to make an impressive showing considering the ardor the team is displaying, taking into account the experience of coach Lemou Pape Benga.
Before the match, coach Benga gave his point of view: “The two teams have never met, the quality of the two squads promises us a balanced match. We respect our opponent even if we believe in our chances. To go in Dakar we first have to win against Energie, which won’t be easy.”
Berthe Seran, FBA fullback, while looking ahead to the match, says she wants the game to be played on the field. “I feel fully confident while respecting the opponent,” she said.
Aishatou Kondoh, captain of Énergie, hopes to bring his experience into this match. Having had the opportunity to play in France before joining her country’s national league, she is not the type to fear the opponent.
“We have a lot to face in the FBA. Our goal here in Liberia is to secure one of the two tickets that will allow us to participate in the final tournament in Dakar, Senegal. If possible, we will not miss respect to any team and we will give the best of ourselves.”
Customs and MFM in a merciless fight
In 2023, the Nigeria Customs team was responsible for the failure of MFM in Alexandria, Egypt, where the inaugural edition of the Women’s Basketball League finals was taking place.
The Customs’ victory in Abuja in the Zone 3 qualifiers was damaging to the winner of that year’s Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League, despite the Customs losing in the final. In Liberia, the program for the second semi-final pits them against each other again.
In this year’s Nigeria final, MFM beat Customs again, but Customs have the opportunity to avenge that defeat and put an end to the memory of MFM’s dominance.
Customs head coach Abdul Rahman Mohammed reacted thus when asked about his team’s state of preparation.
“Obviously it will be a very intense match, but we will win. We are a better team today, completely different, and this match is an opportunity to make a second appearance, which would be a great achievement for the “We want to win to compensate the CGC for all the support they have given to the team.”
MFM, for its part, takes nothing for granted, as Wandoo Hembem explains, excited at the idea of having qualified at this stage. “It’s interesting to know that we qualified for the semi-finals, but I think it’s another fight to fight. The chances are still high, yes, because we are the same MFM that fights until ‘to the end and never give up It’s not by mistake that we reached the semi-finals, it’s God’s work. We hope to correct the mistakes we made last time and play better this time. times.”
FIBA
