The 2025 Zenith Bank Basketball League champions, First Bank, opened their Women’s Basketball League Africa (WBLA) Zone 3 qualifiers with a stunning 66–55 comeback win over CSA after a late surge, www.aclsports.com reports.
The tournament, running from 21–23 November 2025, saw CSA start strongly at the Palais des Sports de Treichville, taking a 16–9 first-quarter lead and maintaining narrow advantages through the second (14–13) and third (14–13) quarters. However, First Bank turned the tide in the fourth, outscoring the Ivorian side 30–12 to secure the win.
Wandoo Hembam led the Elephant Girls with a game-high 24 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists, including the clutch three-pointer that put First Bank ahead with 3:50 remaining. Momoluwa Tewogbade added 13 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists in 17 minutes, helping the Nigerian champions complete the comeback despite Juliana Ojoshogu Negedu utilising just a nine-player rotation.
For CSA, Hanna Amani and Ndeye Sene each scored 11 points, but the home side could not contain First Bank’s late surge.
The result sets the tone for the Elephant Girls, signalling that they are serious contenders for the Zone 3 title.
