CAIRO (Egypt) – The Women’s Basketball League Africa (WBLA) 2025 final will be a remake of last year’s. The host club, Al Ahly Sporting Club, will try to win their first ever African title against reigning champions Ferroviario de Maputo.
Between records to break and legacies to build, the 2019 bronze medalists are looking to take revenge for the defeat conceded in 2024, at home. A success which would not be limited to the trophy: it would also make history for coach Tarek Abouzied, who would become the first technician to win major African competitions for men and women, after his coronation with the men’s team nine years ago, in this same room.
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“We are here to represent Mozambican basketball” — Ingvild Mucauro.
While recent history leans in favor of the Mozambican champions – defeaters of the Egyptians twice, in 2019 (81-72) then last year (84-73) – the statistics of this edition indicate a clear domination of Al Ahly Sporting.
Al Ahly Sporting Club will also benefit from the public support of the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports Hall, a 3,000-seat venue located in Cairo.
Both teams are still undefeated, but Al Ahly has better averages, especially inside the paint, with a success rate of 53.7%, compared to 40.9% for the reigning champions – a factor which could prove decisive. Tarek Abouzied’s players also average 89.6 points per game, compared to 75 for their opponents.
Ferroviario de Maputo had to battle hard in the semi-finals to overcome ASC Ville de Dakar, winning after extra time, while the hosts overpowered Rwandan side APR, only coming under real pressure in the final two minutes, when their opponents came back from a 22-point deficit to ultimately lose 80-74.
Nasir Sale’s team remains no less formidable. With a slightly different squad, the three-time champions last year overcame a 24-point deficit to dominate APR 86-72 in the semi-finals and qualify for the final.
Al Ahly Sporting’s march forward should be led by 2022 MVP Hagar Amer, who so far averages 20.4 points and an evaluation index of 29, with four double-doubles in five matches. In the semi-finals, she delivered a high-flying performance with 25 points and 24 rebounds, signing the best evaluation of the tournament (44).
Coach Abouzied has structured his team to fuel more of the inside game, notably with Amer and Raneem Elgedawy, while Sale relies on an effective rotation, mixing speed for points on the counter-attack and outside skill, in order to keep the advantage.
South Sudan winger Nyamer Diew, however, urged caution ahead of the final: “We played well in the first 25 minutes of the semi-finals, but we lost a bit of concentration, with some sloppy actions that allowed them to come back. We need to correct these details in the final, because it’s not a match you can win in 25 minutes. You have to stay focused for 40 minutes.”
She continued: “We have to trust our coaches and what the scouting report says. I believe my team is going to play well and our shots are going to go in, but in the end it all comes down to who wants it the most. The club is very excited to play this remake.”
For her part, the Mozambican Ingvild Mucauro promises the same fighting spirit displayed since the start of the competition: “The Ferroviario [de Maputo] is a team that fights for every ball and never gives up. Playing in two finals in a row is not trivial and we can’t wait to face Al Ahly Sporting again. We put in a lot of effort and worked hard to be here, despite the difficulties we faced at home, and it shows how much we value our sacrifices, because basketball is our life. We are here to represent Mozambican basketball.”
FIBA
