First Bank Basketball Club of Nigeria have been crowned champions of the FIBA Africa Zone 3 Women’s Basketball League Africa (WBLA) Qualifiers after finishing with a flawless 3–0 record in Abidjan.
The victory marks their return to continental basketball for the first time in six years, earning them a place in the WBLA Final Round in Egypt.
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Host side Friends Basketball Association (FBA) also secured qualification, finishing as runners-up with a superior head-to-head record despite tying with Energie and CSA on identical 1–2 results.
First Bank Rally to Win Zone 3 Title
The Elephant Girls displayed strong resilience in their decisive 63–59 win over Ivorian champions FBA.
Despite trailing 26–10 at the end of the first quarter, First Bank regrouped impressively, taking the second quarter 24–11 to cut the deficit before dominating the third period 15–9. They sealed the comeback with a close 14–13 fourth-quarter finish.
Daphne Olugbagho led the way with 11 points, one rebound and one assist in just over 12 minutes, while Coach Julie Negedu emphasized ball movement and disciplined defence.
Abigail Isaac added 10 points and 3 rebounds, with Wandoo Hembam and Momoluwa Tewogbade contributing 9 points each. First Bank’s bench proved influential, combining for 39 points in a game marked by seven lead changes.
For FBA, Zykera Rice delivered a standout performance of 21 points and 11 rebounds, posting an efficiency rating of 24, but her efforts fell short of overturning First Bank’s momentum.
CSA Shock Energie in Final-Day Upset
In the second game of the day, CSA Treichville claimed a remarkable 57–48 upset over Energie Basketball Club of Benin.
Energie appeared on course for victory after a dominant 21–10 first quarter and a previous win over FBA, but CSA responded with intensity, outscoring them 29–10 in the second quarter to take control of the contest.
Though Energie edged the third quarter 9–8, CSA closed out the game strongly with a 10–8 final quarter to record their only win of the qualifiers.
Hannah Mabella starred for CSA with 16 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists, while Ndeye Sène added 11 points and 2 rebounds. Andreas Komyagou posted 10 points and 5 rebounds.
Energie were led by Aku Afetsu, who registered 11 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Nassarath Mama added 8 points and 11 rebounds, while Veronica Keita hauled in a tournament-high 17 rebounds along with seven points, but Energie were unable to convert their early advantage.
Final Standings – Zone 3 WBLA Qualifiers (2025)
1. First Bank (Nigeria) – 3–0
2. Friends Basketball Association, FBA (Côte d’Ivoire) – 1–2
3. Energie (Benin) – 1–2
4. CSA Treichville (Côte d’Ivoire) – 1–2
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