August 4, 2025 – The Uganda Gazelles‘ journey at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket ended with a heartbreaking 78-71 defeat to hosts Ivory Coast in the classification round, securing eighth place for Uganda.
The game on Saturday marked their third consecutive loss, after a tournament that initially showed great promise. Uganda had started their campaign strong, topping Group C with victories over Guinea and 11-time champions Senegal. Their success sparked excitement and hope for a historic run to the semifinals.
However, their momentum was derailed by a narrow 69-68 loss to South Sudan in the quarterfinals, which relegated them to the classification matches. The subsequent losses to Mozambique and finally Ivory Coast sealed their fate.
The defeat to Ivory Coast was decided in the second quarter, where the Gazelles were outscored 25-5. Despite fighting back in the final two quarters with a 47-31 advantage, the early damage proved too much to overcome.
Jane Asinde led the way with an impressive double-double of 24 points and 10 rebounds. Melissa Akullu added 11 points and 13 boards, while Paige Robinson and Hope Akello contributed 14 and 10 points, respectively.
For Ivory Coast, Fatou Diakite contributed 15 points, and Molly Kaiser and Laetitia Sahie each added 14 points, ensuring the hosts a strong finish in front of their home crowd.
Nigeria’s Continued Dominance
In the final, Nigeria triumphed over Mali, winning 78-64 to claim their fifth consecutive AfroBasket title. This victory also qualified Nigeria for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin, Germany, although they will first participate in the World Cup Qualifying Tournaments next March.
Mali finished with the silver medal, while South Sudan, in their historic debut, clinched bronze with a 66-65 victory over Senegal in the third-place playoff.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPmo4h8suZg
