The 2019 FIBA Women’s African Basketball Championship (AfroBasket) tips off today in Dakar, Senegal with Nigeria as defending champions.
The competition which takes place every two years is due to end on Sunday, August 18 with all games to be played at the recently constructed Dakar Arena.
The top six ranked teams at the end of the competition qualify automatically to a prequalifying tournament for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Nigeria, 2017 finalist and record winners Senegal and Angola are ranked as heavy favorites for the title. Senegal has won the trophy 11 times.
The host nation and Nigeria performed well at the 2018 World Cup with both making it out of the group stage. Nigeria became the first African nation to make it to the quarterfinal.
12 nations including Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya are competing in this year’s AfroBasket.
Senegal’s Astou Tarore was named Most Valuable Player at the 2017 edition and headlines theTeranga Lionesses aim for a 12th title.
By Yaw Adjei-Mintah
@YawMintYM on Twitter
