Madagascar has kicked off its U18 Afrobasket campaign in Ivory Coast in spectacular fashion. The ‘Ankoay’ (Madagascar’s national team) secured an opening victory in Group B by defeating the Gabon ‘Panthers’ thanks to a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Abdoul Yvan Hanaffi on Wednesday at the Treichville Sports Palace in Abidjan. This win provides an ideal start for the Malagasy team before facing tougher opponents, Morocco and Mali. A second victory against the Moroccans on Friday would bring them closer to qualifying for the knockout stage.
The match was far from easy for A’Ranty Rasetrarivony and his teammates. Madagascar started well with solid defense and decent shooting accuracy. However, Gabon turned the tide, and after an eight-point lead, the first quarter ended 19-17 in favor of the Malagasy side.
In the second quarter, Gabonese player Daryll Georges Mbigus, highly effective from beyond the arc, troubled the Malagasy defense, allowing the Panthers to head into halftime with a ten-point lead (27-37). After the break, the Ankoay responded by dominating the third quarter (24-11) to regain the lead (51-48) heading into the final ten minutes.
The victory was decided in the final minute. After Thesbon Matazaky Raolompanantena equalized (65-65) with 31 seconds remaining, both teams struggled to capitalize on their possessions. With just eight-tenths of a second left on the clock, Madagascar regained possession, and Abdoul Yvan Hanaffi hit a decisive three-pointer to seal the win.
Madagascar will play its second Group B match against Morocco on Friday at the Treichville Sports Palace.
Captured & Published at: 2026-08-06 07:53:39 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://2424.mg/afrobasket-u18-victoire-precieuse-au-buzzer-pour-madagascar-face-au-gabon-avant-les-defis-marocain-et-malien/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=afrobasket-u18-victoire-precieuse-au-buzzer-pour-madagascar-face-au-gabon-avant-les-defis-marocain-et-malien