Olympic flame arrives in Senegal for the first Olympic event to be held in Africa

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The Olympic flame was welcomed by music and dancing in Senegal 's capital on Saturday, as a march by 100 women marked the countdown to the first Olympic sporting event held in Africa.

Hundreds of people gathered at Dakar’s Place du Souvenir Africain, a waterfront plaza overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by portraits of prominent figures from Africa and its diaspora, to greet the flame ahead of the Youth Olympic Games next month.

The women carrying the flame are known as “lingeer” — a title for queens or royal women in Wolof, one of the main languages of Senegal.

Dressed in flowing orange and golden traditional dresses with yellow headwraps, they carried the flame to the plaza in a procession celebrating Senegalese women and the passing of values between generations.

Senegalese basketball legend Mame Maty Mbengue lit the Olympic cauldron at the ceremony.

Kirsty Coventry, who is from Zimbabwe and the head of the International Olympic Committee, said the event will be a “proud moment” for Senegal and the continent.

“Everyone that comes to Senegal in a few weeks is going to leave it knowing that Africa and Senegal are capable and unstoppable, and our young generation are going to change the world,” Coventry told the gathered crowds.

The flame left the Greek capital, Athens, on Thursday, where it was lit using the sun’s rays and a parabolic mirror, following Olympic tradition, before being handed to Senegal at the Panathenaic Stadium.

The flame will begin a 3,600-kilometer (2,237-mile) tour of Senegal on Monday, traveling through all 14 regions with over 400 Senegalese torchbearers before returning to the capital for the official opening ceremony.

The Youth Olympic Games, which will run from Oct. 31 to Nov. 13, bring together about 2,700 young athletes to compete in 35 sports across Dakar and the nearby cities Diamniadio and Saly.

The Youth Olympics, first held in Singapore in 2010, are a smaller version of the Olympic Games for athletes aged 15 to 18.

Officials attend an Olympic torch lighting ceremony, ahead of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, in Dakar, Senegal, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

Women take part in a procession during an Olympic torch lighting ceremony, ahead of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, in Dakar, Senegal, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

Senegalese basketball legend Mame Maty Mbengue lights a torch from the cauldron during a ceremony ahead of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, in Dakar, Senegal, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

Senegalese basketball legend Mame Maty Mbengue lights a torch from the cauldron during a ceremony ahead of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, in Dakar, Senegal, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

Senegalese basketball legend Mame Maty Mbengue lights a torch from the cauldron during a ceremony ahead of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, in Dakar, Senegal, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

BERLIN (AP) — After enduring heartbreak in the women’s basketball final at the 2024 Olympics, France star Gabby Williams seems to be on a mission at the women’s FIBA World Cup.

Williams led her team to the final Saturday with 22 points, five rebounds, four assists and five steals in an 86-64 win over host Germany, setting up a showdown with the United States on Sunday for a repeat of the Olympic final.

The Americans won that gold medal match in Paris by a point, 67-66, after Williams’ last-second shot was just inside the 3-point line rather than outside to tie the game.

The U.S. moved into the World Cup final with a 76-66 defeat of Spain in the other semifinal Saturday.

Williams told reporters beforehand she had “no preference” which team France will face on Sunday.

The former UConn standout has been starring throughout the tournament with double figures in each of her five games. She has also supported teammates and pushed the team.

“It’s just great to have her as an example ... of consistency, of just hard work and and aggressiveness throughout all the game,” center Dominique Malonga told reporters. “It was a tough night for me, and just having her talking to me and pouring into me, having her energy helped a lot.”

France's win over Germany was undoubtedly the toughest so far with the home team receiving loud support from the partisan home fans at Berlin Arena. It was the first game in the tournament in which the French failed to break the 90-point mark.

But Williams was still proud of her team’s achievement — France had never played a women’s FIBA World Cup semifinal before so Sunday’s final will also be the country’s first.

“I’m proud of the fight in this group, the determination, the encouragement during the matches, and simply their effort,” Williams said. “We were up against a good team tonight. We’ve had matches that were a bit easier so to speak, but I’m glad we didn’t panic just because we didn’t win by 20 points right away.”

Williams scored all but one of her five free throws despite the efforts from the hostile crowd to put her off.

“I’ve been through quite a few moments like that. I know what that kind of pressure is like. I know what’s needed in those moments,” she said.

If Williams had any doubts, she didn’t show them.

“We’re not going to show weaknesses on the court, we’re not going to show doubts. If we did, our opponents would eat us alive,” she said.

Janelle Salaün, who had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds against Germany, said the 2024 Olympic final was in the past and would have no bearing on Sunday’s decider.

“That was two years ago,” Salaün said of the Olympics. “There were different people involved, different players, so now we’re focusing on tomorrow and the here and now.”

Whatever happens Sunday, France is set for its best World Cup finish. France hasn’t won a medal since the inaugural tournament in 1953, when the team finished third in the final round.

“It means a lot. This is the first time we’re taking it to this level,” France coach Jean-Aimé Toupane said. “You guys can see how French basketball all around the world is improving.”

Marine Johannès, another of the team’s stars, said there was no pressure to take home gold.

“If I’m (being) honest we have nothing to lose,” Johannès said. “We actually know they are a great team. They won every World Cup for years and years. We are playing with these players all season in W(NBA) actually. We know how good they are. It’s one game, nothing to lose. We are going to play hard and we’ll see what happens.”

See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

France's Marine Johannes, left, and Pauline Astier hug after the Women's Basketball World Cup semifinal match between France and Germany in Berlin, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

France's Marine Johannes guards Germany's Alexandra Wilke during the Women's Basketball World Cup semifinal match between France and Germany in Berlin, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

French players celebrate after the Women's Basketball World Cup semifinal match between France and Germany in Berlin, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

France's Valeriane Ayayi, left, Marine Johannes, center, and Mamignan Toure react during the Women's Basketball World Cup semifinal match between France and Germany in Berlin, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

France's Gabby Williams scores over Germany's Marie Guelich during the Women's Basketball World Cup semifinal match between France and Germany in Berlin, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)