Kenya secure historic win in FIBA U16 Women's Afrobasket
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Reading Time: 2min | Thu. 04.09.25. | 20:23
Trailing by six, the debutants produced a big effort in the final quarter to record their first win in the championships
Kenya registered her first victory in the FIBA U16 Women’s Afrobasket after producing a sensational fourth quarter comeback to defeat Morocco 55-49 at Petit Stade in Kigali, Rwanda.
Coming in as tournament debutants, Rose Mshilla’s side had to dig deep in the final stanza, using their superior defense and fast offense to outscore their opponents 16-4, on their way to securing the historic win.
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Trailing 45-39 at the end of a back-and-forth third quarter, Kenya summoned the efforts of Rihanna Mercy Nyalando, who scored 11 points in the final frame to steal a game they had trailed at three of its four periods.
Sensing the need to rescue her team, Nyalando, who led the team’s scoring with 19 points, sank three three-pointers in the dominant quarter, with both Consolata Manila Oduor and Sherniz Wanjiru Ngomo adding to the total.
Speaking after the win, Mshilla, who admittedly used a mix of one-on-one and zone defense to fend off Tarik Bouktiba’s squad, praised her team for showing maturity in the big stage.
Kenya secures first-ever FIBA U16 Women’s AfroBasket Victory, by defeating Morocco 55–49, to lead Group C#U16AfroBasketWomen pic.twitter.com/9Sqx6gKcDj
— FERWABA 🏀🇷🇼 (@ferwabaRW) September 4, 2025
“Most of our girls were dealing with a lot of anxiety and just trying to adjust to the new environment,” she said. “To just see them go out and find a way through this one is good.”
Having started the game on a high, Kenya struggled to take initiative of the edgy affair, and only led on multiple instances, before showing up when it mattered.
“We encouraged our girls to keep their heads in it because with the highs and lows in the game, a lot of emotions went into it,” Mshilla said.
“We guided them defensively to just ensure we were able to slow down Morocco’s run and get back into the competition.”
The fourth quarter alone saw Kenya register three blocks and two steals, plays that were important in bagging the win.
“Defense has always been a big identity of who we are as a country,” Mshilla said of the team’s efforts down the stretch, adding that she was looking for the girls to better their efficiency and reduce the number of turnovers.
Kenya, who now lead the group, next play Egypt on Sunday, 7 September.
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