Kenya’s Lionesses reignited their FIBA Women’s AfroBasket 2025 Zone 5 Qualifiers campaign with a dominant 87-53 victory over Burundi on Wednesday evening in Cairo, Egypt.
Coming into the match on the back of two consecutive losses against Uganda and South Sudan, the George Mayienga-coached side was under immense pressure to turn things around—and they delivered in style.
Determined to avoid an early exit from the qualifiers, Kenya came out firing, outclassing their East African counterparts with a commanding 26-11 first-quarter performance. However, Burundi mounted a brief resurgence in the second quarter, reducing the deficit to 34-26 at halftime.
Sensing the urgency of the moment, the Lionesses shifted gears in the second half, completely dismantling their opponents. They won the third quarter 25-16 before delivering the knockout punch with a blistering 28-11 final-quarter performance to seal the emphatic victory.
Star forward Victoria Reynolds was the heartbeat of Kenya’s attack, dropping a game-high 22 points while also contributing three rebounds and seven assists. She was well supported by Selina Okumu (15 points) and Vilma Owino (12 points), who played key roles in Kenya’s offensive resurgence.
For Burundi, Ines Nezerwa was the lone standout performer, registering 20 points and eight rebounds. Her efforts, however, were not enough to prevent her team from falling to their third defeat of the tournament.
With their qualification hopes hanging in the balance, the Lionesses now turn their attention to their toughest test yet—a showdown against Pool A leaders and hosts Egypt on Friday night.
Kenya’s path to AfroBasket qualification remains uncertain, but their dominant performance against Burundi has injected new life into their campaign. A victory against Egypt would be a major statement, and Coach Mayienga’s side will need to replicate Wednesday’s intensity if they hope to extend their journey.
Remaining Fixture:
📅 Kenya vs Egypt – February 7, 19:00 EAT
Can the Lionesses build on this momentum and pull off an upset against the hosts? The battle continues.
