Next year’s Qualifiers to Africa’s elite men’s basketball competition, 2025 FIBA AfroBasket have been slated for February and November with the venues set to be announced at a later date.
The draw to the qualifiers that will see 16 teams, joined by winners of the pre-qualification tournaments, compete was conducted on 24 November in Johannesburg, South Africa on the sidelines of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Elite 16 East Division.
The team’s have been pooled in five groups of four teams each with Olympics-bound South Sudan headlining Group A that has Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Mali with the winner of the pre-qualifiers in Zone 6 Mauritius and Comoros completing the list.
Cape Verde who finished fourth in the last AfroBasket held in 2021 in Rwanda are ranked top in Group B that also has Nigeria, Uganda and the winner of the pre-qualifiers between Zone 1 and 2.
The 2021 bronze medalists Senegal have been pitted against Cameroon who finished last in the last edition, in Group C, with Rwanda and the winner of the Zone 3 and 4 pre-qualification tournament completing the list.
Reigning silver medalists Cote D’Ivoire have landed Group D that has Zone 5 powerhouses Egypt, Central Africa Republic and the winner of the pre-qualifiers between Zone 5, Madagascar and Djibouti.
Title holders Tunisia have been pitted against Angola who finished fifth in 2021, Guinea and Kenya in Group E.
February 2024 window will see Groups D, B and E in action while Groups C and A play their matches in the November 2024 window.
Basketball Africa League’s Head of League Operations, Ruben Boumtje Boumtje, who conducted the draw alongside FIBA Africa head of of competitions Julien Farran, says the draw has produced some interesting matchups that are bound to make for good competition in the qualifiers.
“Sometimes these draws produce surprises and there are some good groups here, probably three or four, that are going to be very competitive,” Boumtje Boumtje said. “Coming from a different competition in the basketball ecosystem in Africa, I believe BAL is raising the level of the sports and of play in the continent and this will manifest in the next Afrobasket.”
The former NBA player says the traction being witnessed where more foreign-based players are keen to come back and play in the continent for teams in BAL has trickled down to the national teams.
The former Cameroonian international player added: “BAL is raising the level of play in Africa as players get to feature in some high-level matches and we are hoping their involvement in their respective national teams will also improve the quality of basketball witnessed in the AfroBasket and that will elevate the level of the game in the continent.”
The 2025 FIBA AfroBasket Qualifiers produced the following results:
Group A
South Sudan
DRC
Mali
Q z6 Mauritius n Comoros
Group B
Cape Verde
Nigeria
Q z1 + z2
Uganda
Group C
Senegal
Cameroon
Q z3 +z4
Rwanda
Group D
Cote D’Ivore
Egypt
Central Africa Republic
Q z5 +Madagascar + Djibouti
Group E
Tunisia
Angola
Guinea
Kenya
FIBA
