MFM close in on Cairo ticket at FIBA qualifiers - Punch Newspapers
Nigerian champions, Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Women Basketball Club, moved closer to a place at the FIBA Africa Women’s Basketball League final tournament in Cairo with a 77-46 win over hosts, Flames Female Basketball Club, in Monrovia, Liberia. The Thursday night game at the Samuel Doe Stadium was their second win in as many matches at the 2026 Zone 3 qualifiers. MFM, nicknamed the Folashade Olukoya Queens, won all four quarters and the game by 31 points. They opened up a 20-11 lead in the first quarter with a disciplined half-court offence, then tightened their defence to restrict Flames to eight points in the second quarter and seven in the third. The Liberians scored 20 in the fourth quarter, but MFM replied with 25 to complete a wire-to-wire victory. Captain, Ukamaka Okoh, led the way with a team-high 13 points, two rebounds and one assist. Veteran forward Regina Iornumbe added 10 points and a team-high six steals, while Marvis Hembam contributed nine points and nine assists. Dalphne Olugbagho and Yakhira Buzugbe scored seven points each. The three-time league champions, who won the Nigerian league without a defeat, had opened the qualifiers with a 59-36 win over fellow Nigerian side, First Bank. The final tournament in Cairo runs from December 11 to 20, 2026. Peter Akinbo Peter, who has been covering sports for PUNCH for close to two years, focuses on combat sports reporting, special features and human angle stories
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