The Moroccan national team secured the second spot after the Egyptian team (A), a strong contender for the title, by defeating the Algerian team 59-72 in the third round. Despite Algeria leading in the first period 15-17, the Moroccan response was strong in the second period, winning by a margin of 13 points (9-22). The third period saw a close score of 13-15, while the fourth ended in a tie at 20-20. The match featured record-breaking numbers not seen in the previous two rounds, with Algerian player Nesrine Tibi achieving the highest score of 32 points, followed by Moroccan Zahra Wajih with 25 points.
In the second match, the Egyptian team (B) celebrated a strong performance with a victory over the Kuwaiti team 59-110 in preparation for the World Cup in Spain later this month, noting that their results do not count against other teams. The home team dominated across all four periods with scores of 8-26, 15-29, 16-20, and 20-35. The top scorer was Egyptian player Tamara Nader with 22 points. The preliminary round will conclude tomorrow, Friday, with matches between Kuwait and Morocco, and Egypt (A) against Egypt (B).
Al-Qarqaoui Arrives in Cairo and Chairs Arab Basketball Association on Sunday
Lieutenant General Ismail Al-Qarqaoui, president of the Arab and UAE basketball federations, arrived in Cairo yesterday afternoon to attend the championship matches. He will preside over the Board of Directors meeting of the Arab Federation at the Baron Hotel on Sunday afternoon, where the minutes from the previous meeting held in Dubai during the Arab men’s basketball championship in February last year will be approved. Additionally, the report submitted by Secretary-General Abdullah Shalabi regarding the past year, which documents the proceedings from the general assembly meeting in Dubai that elected the new Board of Directors led by Al-Qarqaoui, as well as a comprehensive report on all tournaments and events, will also be approved.