Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe national basketball team men’s side will tonight face Mozambique in the final of the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) AfroCan Zone Six Qualifiers at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair’s Hall 4.
For the past seven days, three teams, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique have been playing pool games to determine two top teams that will face off in the final.
After the completion of the preliminary round fixtures, all three sides finished on six points but Mozambique and Zimbabwe, who are first and second respectively on the table edged Zambia on points average.
In their two meetings in the group stages, Zimbabwe, led by France based Vitalis Chikoko won 71- 57 in the first game while the second encounter had Mozambique triumphant 66-53. The winner between Mozambique and Zimbabwe will qualify for the second edition of the Fiba AfroCan finals. The AfroCan tournament, which is still relatively new, is a national team competition for players based in Africa. Countries are allowed two slots to field foreign players. It is also specifically for nations that will not compete in the World Cup African Qualifiers.
Four teams, the Democratic Republic Congo, Kenya, Angola, and Morocco have already qualified for the finals of the second edition of the Fiba AfroCan by virtue of reaching the semi-finals of the last edition that was held in Bamako, Mali. The host nation and dates for the 2023 Fiba AfroCan are yet to be determined.
Meanwhile, in the women’s Afro-basket qualifiers Zimbabwe and Zambia will fight it out in the third-place final again today.
Mozambique and Angola will face off in the final to determine who qualifies for the tournament’s finals in Rwanda.’
The Local Organising Committee has appealed to the basketball loving Bulawayo to come out in their numbers for the final day of action. Entry is pegged at US$2 for the rest of the rest of the stands and US$5 for those who wish to be close to the action.
The venue can accommodate 400 spectators.
Fixtures
Today: Zimbabwe v Zambia (W) 14:00, Mozambique v Angola (W) 16:00, Zimbabwe v Mozambique (18:00). — @innocentskizoe
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