3 days ago
Bahrain's Perfect Run Meets Algeria's Last Stand
TDT | Manama
Unbeaten Bahrain face Algeria for the U16 Arab Basketball Championship gold medal
Bahrain topped the six-team table with a spotless 5-0 record, outscoring opponents by 113 points. Their campaign featured four routs – 90-58 over Qatar, 80-54 against Algeria, 81-57 versus Kuwait, and 93-70 against Tunisia – before a 80-72 win over hosts Egypt sealed first place. They head into tonight's decider as the clear form team.
Algerian Resistance
Algeria finished second at 4-1, their only stumble coming against Bahrain. They opened with a 76-42 thrashing of Kuwait and beat Qatar 57-35, then scraped past Tunisia 67-61. A dramatic 76-74 win over Egypt showed their resilience under pressure, and they'll need every ounce of that fight to reverse fortunes in the final.
Stars of the Show
For Bahrain, Somto Patrick Onoduenyi has been the tournament's standout, leading in efficiency (177), rebounds (92), and steals (23), while scoring 95 points. Hassan Showefi has chipped in 84 points and 62 boards, while Hassan Fouad tops the three-point charts with 12. Skipper Aly Hussien has provided leadership with 19 assists and seven triples. Algeria lean on Abdelkarim Yahiaoui (70 points, 64 rebounds, 113 efficiency) and sharpshooter Redouane Bertouche (62 points, eight threes). Rim protector Anes Hadjoudj adds 47 rebounds and 15 blocks.
One More Step
Bahrain arrive chasing back-to-back regional titles, having already won last month's FIBA U16 Asia Cup GBA Qualifiers. Algeria, though, see redemption on the line. Having been humbled by Bahrain once, they'll need to tighten their defense and ride Yahiaoui's inside presence to have a chance.
