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•As MFM, First Bank battle for continental glory
Two tickets to the final rounds of the African Women’s Basketball League (AWBL) are up for grabs in Monrovia, Liberia, where six clubs will chase continental glory at the FIBA Africa Zone 3 qualifiers from November 2 to 9, 2026.
The tournament will be staged at the Samuel Kanyon Doe (SKD) Indoor Gymnasium in Paynesville. Only the top two teams will advance to the AWBL finals in Cairo, Egypt, scheduled for December 11 to 19, so every result could prove decisive.
Hosts Liberia will field two sides: national champions D’Rockers Basketball Club and league runners-up Flames Basketball Club. Both will be keen to make home advantage count.
Côte d’Ivoire’s Friends of Basketball Association (FBA) arrive as defending Zone 3 champions with a title to protect, while Benin Republic’s Energie Basketball Club of Cotonou brings experience from previous appearances.
Nigeria’s Mountain of Fire Ministries (MFM) Basketball Club and First Bank Basketball Club complete the lineup, renewing one of the country’s notable domestic rivalries.
MFM travel with bragging rights after edging First Bank 66-64 in the Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League final at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium. The closely fought contest, played before a packed arena, showed how little separates the two sides. A meeting in Monrovia could carry added significance as both clubs look to turn domestic form into continental success.
The Nigerian clubs secured their places after FIBA Africa and the Liberia Basketball Association (LBA) extended the registration deadline and adjusted the schedule. The changes followed an intervention by FIBA Africa Zone 3 President, Colonel Sam Ahmedu (Rtd), allowing both clubs to participate despite the late end of their domestic league campaign.
Preparations in Liberia are gathering pace. Calvin Diggs, president of Flames Basketball Club and Secretary-General of the LBA, told journalists that the Organizing Committee and the LBA have intensified their efforts to deliver a competition that meets international standards.
FIBA Africa Zone 3 Secretary Joe Apu also expressed confidence in Liberia’s readiness, pointing to the experience the country’s basketball community has gained from hosting several international events in recent years.
The six clubs are reportedly reinforcing their squads ahead of tip-off, with the objective clear: finish in the top two and earn a shot at the AWBL title in Egypt.
With the defending zonal champions, two Nigerian rivals, experienced Béninois contenders and a determined Liberian challenge all in the mix, the Monrovia qualifiers promise a stern test of depth, consistency and ambition.
