Cairo 2026: Parakou crushes Canada 96-52 to reach final against Guinea

The University of Parakou secured a spot in the final of the men’s basketball tournament at the 12th African University Games on Monday, September 14, in Cairo, dominating the University of Canada 96-52. Undefeated in four matches, the Beninese team will compete for the title on Tuesday against the Guinean University Sports Federation.

Coached by Jean M’Po, the players built a significant lead right from the first quarter, which they won 33-18. Parakou was ahead 54-37 at halftime, then 78-46 after three quarters, ultimately finishing with a 44-point advantage.

This qualification extends their unbeaten run in the tournament. The University of Parakou began with a victory of 87-53 against Higher Education Institutes, a result previously mentioned in our earlier coverage of Cairo 2026, followed by a win over the American University in Cairo 73-71 and then defeating the Guinean University Sports Federation 63-49.

The final will thus provide a rematch for the Guinean university team, which was previously defeated by Parakou by 14 points in the group phase. The match is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15, at the American University in Cairo, at 4:00 pm local time, which is 2:00 pm in Benin.

The official schedule for Cairo 2026 also includes basketball, football, volleyball, and futsal competitions on Wednesday, September 16, the final day of the African University Games.