Hosts of the FIBA Africa Zone 3 championship, Nigeria Customs, on Tuesday night defeated reigning champions of Nigeria, Mountain of Fire and Miracles, to qualify for the inaugural FIBA Africa Women’s Basketball League (AWBL), alongside ASPAC Cotonou of Benin Republic.
The Customs Ladies, were on the blink of qualification, with a comfortable 65-48 victory over ASPAC Cotonou on Monday; while MFM BC had elimination staring them in their faces; after losing the opening game 48-53 to ASPAC Cotonou, on Sunday.
The newly crowned Nigerian Champions were more resolute and fought tenaciously in the final; but ended up as the losers when suffering a 49-55 dunks defeat to their compatriots, Nigeria Customs. It was their second defeat, in as many games; meaning they finished bottom of the standings.
Nigeria Customs will now go on to represent FIBA Africa Zone 3, alongside ASPAC Cotonou; and that should be good news to organisers of the league, as only three qualifiers from the zones, are yet to be confirmed for the finals, scheduled for the Egyptian city of Alexandria, from December 11 to 19, 2023.
What was to be a five-team championship, was trimmed to three teams after two other teams; Elan Cotonou of Benin Republic, and Nigeria’s Air Warriors of Abuja; who were to compete on none scoring basis, failed to show up for the qualifiers, staged at the Magnificent MO Arena, in Wuse Zone 5, Abuja.
Sporting Alexandria, who won the 2022 edition of the FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women in Maputo and Al Ahly Sporting Club will carry Egypt’s flag throughout the AWBL.
Other teams that qualified so far include Kenya’s Kenya Ports Authority, who clinched FIBA Africa Zone 5 qualifier, and Rwanda Energy Group which finished second.
Overdose Up Station and fellow Camerounians Universite Douala have also secured their flights to Alexandria, from Central Africa; while Angolan sides – Primeiro de Agosto and Inter Clube both qualified for the tournament without playing their FIBA Africa Zone 6 qualifiers; and with just about a week to the jump-up, FIBA Africa has promised to release more details such as date for the 2023 AWBL draw.
