DRC Men’s Basketball Leopards suffered a bitter defeat in the semi-final of the 2nd edition of AfroCan, Angola 2023. Opposed to Morocco’s Atlas Lions, the defending champions fell with a score from 69-76. A performance that put an end to their hopes of winning this competition a second time.
Despite fierce resistance in the third and fourth quarters, the Leopards failed to turn the tide and gain the advantage over their Moroccan opponents. The latter were able to take advantage of the errors and the haste of the Congolese at the start of the match to take the advantage in the first two quarters.
This defeat marks the end of the Leopards’ journey in the competition, but they will have the opportunity to save their honor in the classification match for third place. Despite this disappointment, it is important to underline the performance of the course of the Leopards in this competition, in particular their victory against the D’Tigers of Nigeria to reach this stage.
This semi-final showed the quality and competitiveness of AfroCan, highlighting the talent of African basketball teams. The Leopards can be proud of their journey and their contribution to the development of this sport in the DRC.
The loss to the Atlas Lions is a reminder that in sport, nothing is taken for granted. This underlines the importance of preparation, perseverance and team spirit to reach the heights. The Leopards will have to learn from this experience and prepare for the next competitions to come.
In conclusion, despite this defeat in the semi-finals, the Leopards of the DRC can be proud of their journey during the AfroCan Angola 2023. They showed their talent and their determination, and contributed to the evolution of basketball in the DRC . They will now have the opportunity to fight for third place and finish the competition in style.