By: Trokon Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmail.com
Paynesville, Liberia – The Lone Star Under-16 girls basketball team of Liberia has been eliminated from the ongoing FIBA-Africa Zone 3 Under-16 Afrobasket Qualifiers after suffering their third consecutive defeat in the tournament.
Liberia’s hopes of clinching the sole qualification spot were dashed Tuesday evening following a 38-64 loss to Ivory Coast in the return leg at the SKD Basketball Gymnasium in Paynesville.
The home side had previously lost the first leg to the Ivorians by 79-46 and fell short against Benin in a close 47-53 contest.
These defeats, combined with earlier losses to Nigeria and Ghana, have now ruled the Liberian girls out of contention for the upcoming FIBA-Africa Under-16 Afrobasket Championship.
Despite having one game left to play, the Lone Star girls will exit the tournament without a chance of qualification. Attention has now turned to the Liberian U-16 boys team, which remains in the hunt for the lone qualification spot in the male category.
The boys are scheduled to face Ivory Coast later today in what promises to be a high-stakes encounter.
The FIBA-Africa Zone 3 Under-16 Afrobasket Qualifiers serve as a key platform for youth basketball development in West Africa, showcasing some of the region’s top emerging talents.
This year’s tournament, hosted in Liberia, features male and female under-16 teams from three West African nations—Benin, Ivory Coast, and Liberia.
The top-performing team in each category will qualify for the 2025 FIBA-Africa Under-16 Afrobasket Championship, set to take place later this year in Kigali, Rwanda.
