Ivory Coast vs Madagascar

The opening period was tight — four ties and two lead changes inside the first ten minutes. Madagascar's Sitraka Raharimanantoanina, the game's top scorer with 25 points, kept his side within touching distance as the quarter ended 19-16 in Côte d'Ivoire's favour.

The decisive shift came in the second quarter. Côte d'Ivoire outscored Madagascar 28-21, powered by 18-year-old guard Assemian Moulare, who finished with a game-high 24 efficiency rating. The Elephants' 2-point shooting efficiency — 65.2% for the game — began to tell as they consistently broke down Madagascar's half-court defence. At halftime the lead was 47-37.

The third quarter proved decisive. Côte d'Ivoire held Madagascar to 12 points while pouring in 28 of their own, extending the margin to 75-49. A 15-0 run — the game's biggest — effectively ended the contest. The Elephants' biggest lead touched 30 points in the second half.

Madagascar won the fourth quarter 25-24 but the damage was long done.

The third quarter was where Côte d'Ivoire's class gap became a chasm. After a competitive first half, Madagascar managed just 12 points in the third — their lowest-scoring period — while Côte d'Ivoire shot efficiently from inside the arc. The 15-0 unanswered run midway through the quarter turned a manageable 10-point deficit into a rout and pushed the lead beyond 25 for the first time.

Assemian Moulare (CIV) — The 18-year-old guard was the engine of Côte d'Ivoire's attack. Per FIBA's game leaders, he recorded a 24 efficiency rating, the highest on the winning side. He reportedly scored 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting, per FIBA's social channels.

Sitraka Raharimanantoanina (MAD) — The top scorer in the game with 25 points (per FIBA's game leaders), he was the lone consistent threat for Madagascar. His individual production was not enough to offset Côte d'Ivoire's collective firepower.

Côte d'Ivoire frontcourt — The Elephants shot 65.2% from two-point range, reflecting their domination of the paint. By contrast, Madagascar connected on just 42.1% of their 2-point attempts and 38% from the field overall.

The page-level stats — Côte d'Ivoire's 49% field goal shooting to Madagascar's 38% — understate the true margin of superiority. The Elephants' 65.2% conversion inside the arc (vs 42.1% for Madagascar) tells the real story: this game was won in the paint. Madagascar actually shot better from three-point range (33.3% to 26.5%) but attempted far fewer inside shots and were outscored decisively in the half-court.

Côte d'Ivoire led for 37:09 of game time, Madagascar for just 52 seconds. The Elephants' biggest lead (30 points) and biggest scoring run (15-0) both came in the second half when Madagascar's resistance finally broke.

Côte d'Ivoire finish Group B with a perfect 3-0 record (6 points), joining Guinea and Mali as the only undefeated teams from the First Round across all four groups. Senegal (2-1, 5 pts) and DR Congo (1-2, 4 pts) also advance to the Second Round, while Madagascar exit the qualifiers without a win (0-3, 3 pts).

The top three teams from each First Round group advance to the Second Round, which will be split into Groups E and F. The Second Round window is scheduled for August 2026, where the 12 remaining African nations will battle for the continent's five berths at the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.

For Côte d'Ivoire, the next fixture comes in the Second Round (Group E/F) beginning in the August 2026 window. Madagascar's qualification campaign ends here.

Côte d'Ivoire did what a group favourite should: three wins from three, no scare, no drama. The 99-74 scoreline flattered only in that the game was essentially over after three quarters. The Elephants' inside-out game looks coherent enough to trouble Angola or Tunisia in the Second Round. For Madagascar, the gap to Africa's top tier remains significant — they went winless across both windows and scored fewer than 75 points in all three games.