LUANDA (Angola) – Mali wrote a golden chapter in its basketball history on Saturday night by defeating Senegal 88–80 in Luanda to reach the AfroBasket Final for the first time ever.
Mali’s big moment
After losing to Senegal during the Group Phase, the Eagles turned the tables in the semifinal with teamwork, energy, and clutch shooting. Mahamane Coulibaly was unstoppable, pouring in 23 points on 10/13 shooting, while Oumar Ballo dominated the paint with 19 points.
Coulibaly, speaking to ViaggioSport, could hardly hide his emotion:
“Yes, this was the goal. I am proud to be Malian. When you see the green, yellow and red on the jersey… here, we say: a Malian is all heart. We support our players and coaches, we respect everyone, and we play our game.”
He added:
“We’ll celebrate a little, then recover quickly to be ready tomorrow.”
Senegal’s frustration
For Senegal, it was a bitter reversal. After their group-stage win over Mali, the Lions entered the semifinal with confidence. But despite Jean Jacques Boissy’s 19 points, Brancou Badio’s 15, and Moustapha Diop’s 14, lapses on defense and crucial turnovers derailed their hopes of returning to the final.
Captain Brancou Badio reflected on the lessons to be learned:
“It’s always an honor to wear the jersey of Senegal. I gained a lot of experience in this AfroBasket with my teammates, the coach, the staff. Above all, we are a family. We’ll support each other and look to the future.”
Coach DeSagana Diop admitted the pain of the moment but underlined the youth and promise of his team:
“We lost. It’s tough, I won’t sleep tonight, but that’s basketball. That’s life.”
And on the bigger picture:
“It’s a very young team. We have four years ahead of us. It seems long, but time passes quickly. We have the World Cup qualifiers. We must keep working. Life is never easy, but you always have to move forward.”
What’s next
Mali’s victory, their first ever over Senegal at this stage of AfroBasket, ensures a historic appearance in today’s final against Angola, who return to the title game after a decade. Senegal, meanwhile, will try to regroup quickly as they prepare to face Cameroon with a bronze medal on the line.
