Semi-finals

Rwanda 71-74 Cote d'Ivoire

Cote d'Ivoire qualified for the 2023 FIBA AfroCan finals thanks to a narrow 74-71 victory over Rwanda.

The Ivorians made it to the final for the first time in their history. They will face Morocco, who defeated DR congo in the semi-final.

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It took the mastery of Sire Dieng and Mike Fofana to see the Ivorians snatch victory.

If it hadn&039;t been for the free-throws from Williams Robeyns, or Dieng and Fofana, the match could have taken a completely different turn.

First, Côte d'Ivoire took the first quarter (13-12), before seeing Rwanda lead 37-31 at the break.

ALSO READ: FIBA AfroCAN: How they made it to the quarterfinals

Cote d&039;Ivoire's Dieng and Fofana were the heroes of the day.

When William Robeyns gave Rwanda the lead with a series of three free-throws, Dieng got the teams back on level terms (71-71) first, before giving his side the lead on a free throw (72-71).

ALSO READ: Afro-CAN: Rwanda beat Mozambique, through to quarter finals

It was then Fofana's turn to take charge, also scoring twice from the free-throw line to give the Elephants victory (74-71). Fofana finished with 17 points, while Dieng scored 4 en route to victory.

Earlier, Robeyns thought he had done the hard part when he gave the Rwandans a few seconds of fleeting joy at 70-68. Robeyns, who went 4 for 6 from the three-point line, scored 15 points, collected 4 rebounds and handed out 4 assists.

Cote d'Ivoire seemed to have learned their lessons and showed it on the court. Against Rwanda, they scored a whopping 14 out of 18 free throws and grabbed 36 rebounds, including 27 on the defensive end.

They were also more diligent in this area, with 11 steals and a total of 17 assists. Rwanda, for their part, grabbed 35 rebounds, including 28 on defense. But that was not enough.

"We knew that Cote d’Ivoire would play on fast break points. And indeed, they scored 22 points from fast breaks. We lost the ball two or three times and this is what cost us the game. We came here with the aim of fighting for every dime. But this is basketball and it happens. Now we’ll allow the players to get some rest and focus on the classification game,” said Yves Murenzi, Rwanda's coach.

Earlier, Kenya and Tunisia claimed a very crucial win towards their classification game as they fended off Nigeria (61-59) and Angola (68-65), respectively.

Griffin Ligare was the man that led Kenya to victory along with Bramel Mwombe. They each accounted for 13 points.

Later in the day, Tunisia played a very collective game, with 18 assists, to win their classification game against Angola.