July 17, (THEWILL) – Morocco claimed the coveted title of FIBA AfroCan 2023 champions, with a thrilling 78-76 victory over Ivory Coast in the final, which was held at Angola’s Pavilhao Multiusos de Luanda arena.
The North African team, who finished fourth in the inaugural event in Mali back in 2019, concluded the 12-team tournament with an impressive 5-1 record. Led by Mohamed Choua’s 13 points and 15 rebounds, Morocco showed their depth and resilience, with Kevin Franceschi earning the Most Valuable Player (MVP) accolade.
In the quarterfinals, Morocco overcame a tough challenge from Kenya’s Morans, securing a hard-fought 55-46 victory. Kenya, the silver medallists from four years ago, settled for sixth place after suffering a 67-59 defeat against Tunisia. Meanwhile, the road to the final saw Morocco prevail over the Democratic Republic of Congo with a 76-69 triumph, while Ivory Coast edged out Rwanda in a closely-contested encounter, sealing a 74-71 victory.
The tournament’s All-Star team featured Franceschi, along with fellow Moroccan Jihad Benchlikha, Dieudonne Ndizeye from Rwanda, Evariste Shoganya representing the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mike Fofana of Ivory Coast.
The final standings of the tournament featured Morocco as champions, followed by Ivory Coast in second place, Rwanda claiming the third spot, and the Democratic Republic of Congo finishing fourth. Nigeria’s D’Tigers finished a far eighth in what can only be described as one of their worst outings of recent times on the continent.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
