12th Fasu Games: From Defeat To Gold, Guinean Basketball Stars Reflect On Title Triumph
Institut Supérieur de Technologie de Mamou (ISTM) secured the men's basketball gold medal at the 12th All Africa University Games in Cairo after defeating Université de Parakou 80 to 67 in the final on 16 September 2026, overturning a 63 to 49 defeat suffered against the Beninese side earlier in the tournament.
The two teams had previously met during the competition, with Université de Parakou taking the first encounter. Their meeting in the final produced a different result as ISTM responded with a stronger performance to secure Guinea's first place finish in the men's basketball competition.
At the centre of ISTM's campaign were Baraka Djibril Kaba, a third year student who has spent two years with the university team, and Saïdou Oumar Diallo, a first year student from Conakry competing outside Guinea for the first time. Both players contributed to a campaign that took ISTM from national university champions to continental champions.
ISTM qualified for the 12th FASU Games after winning the men's basketball title at the 10th Jeux Universitaires de Guinée earlier in 2026. The team completed an unbeaten group stage with victories over Université Internationale Collège de Guinée, Institut Supérieur de Commerce et d'Administration des Entreprises en Guinée and Université Général Lansana Conté de Sonfonia. ISTM then defeated Institut Supérieur des Arts Mory Kanté de Dubréka in the quarter finals before overcoming Université Mercure International in the final.
The team opened its Cairo campaign with a 62 to 48 victory over the American University in Cairo, giving the Guinean side an early confidence boost. ISTM later faced Université de Parakou and lost 63 to 49, a result that provided the team with an opportunity to assess its opponent before the eventual gold medal meeting.
According to Diallo, the demanding schedule contributed to the team's difficulties in the first encounter, as ISTM had played against the American University in Cairo before facing Parakou approximately ten hours later. The experience, however, also gave the players a better understanding of the Beninese side and helped them prepare for the final.
"We came to take our revenge," Kaba said, reflecting on the return meeting with Parakou.
The final required ISTM to maintain its composure as Parakou responded during different stages of the game. Diallo highlighted the communication and encouragement within the team as important factors in their performance, noting that every player contributed to the campaign.
The victory was also the result of an intensive preparation period. Kaba described the team's nearly two month training camp as demanding, with the players undergoing rigorous preparation before travelling to Egypt. The work continued throughout the competition as ISTM faced teams from different university sports backgrounds across Africa.
Université de Parakou entered the final unbeaten after four consecutive victories, including wins over Higher Education Institutes, the American University in Cairo and the University of Canada. ISTM therefore faced the same opponent that had previously handed them their only defeat in the competition.
This time, ISTM produced an 80 to 67 victory to secure the men's basketball gold medal and complete its progression from Guinean university champions to African university champions.
For Diallo, the achievement was particularly significant as Cairo marked his first experience playing basketball outside Guinea.
"It's the best feeling ever," he said. "For me, it's my first time playing outside Guinea."
Kaba, meanwhile, has already set his sights beyond the Cairo Games, expressing the ambition of representing Guinea and Africa at the University Basketball World Cup.
The ISTM victory highlights the pathway created by university sport for athletes to progress from national competitions to continental competition. For the Guinean team, the 12th FASU Games provided an opportunity to test its domestic success against university teams from across Africa, respond to an early setback and ultimately claim the continental title.
Source: Federation of Africa University Sports (FASU) Original report by: Victor Oluwaseun Olabisi