Zone 3 Women’s Basketball League Africa: Customs, MFM in battle royale

The Samuel Kayon Doe Arena in Monrovia, Liberia is expected to come alive on a work free day at the 2,000-capacity arena when two Nigerian teams clash in the second semifinal of the 2024 Zone 3 Women’s Basketball League Africa.

Nigeria Customs and MFM Queens will be battling to see who gets the ticket to compete in the final round of the tournament next month in Dakar, Senegal.

In 2023, the Border girls were responsible for the failure of MFM not making it to Alexandria, Egypt, venue of the inaugural edition of the Women’s Basketball League Final Round.

Customs’ win in Abuja during the Zone 3 Qualifiers was damaging for the winner of the Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League for that year despite defeating Customs in the final.

The two teams are meeting again for the second semifinal.

At the Nigeria final this year, MFM defeated Customs again, but they have a chance to avenge that defeat and put to rest the ghost of the MFM dominating them.

Head Coach of the Customs Abdul Rahman Mohammed says his team are ready to win this time.

“Obviously, it will be a very intense game, but we will win. We are a better team now, completely different and this game is a chance to make a second appearance that will be a great achievement for the organisation. It’s our desire to win as a way to compensate the CGC for all the support he gave the team,’ he told FIBA website.

MFM on the other hand is taking nothing for granted as Wandoo Hembem explains her excitement in qualifying to this stage.

“It’s exciting that we qualified to the semifinals but I think it’s another tug of war to face. The chances are still high yes, because we are the same MFM that fights to the end and never gives up. Getting to the semifinals is not by mistake; it’s God’s doing. We hope to correct the mistakes we made last time and play better this time around.”