Group C set to open FIBA AfroBasket 2021 Qualifiers

YAOUNDE (Cameroon) - The FIBA AfroBasket 2021 Qualifiers has arrived with Yaounde - the capital of Cameroon - hosting the first-leg of Group C from Friday, February 21 until Sunday.

Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea and Equatorial Guinea are the teams to compete in the first window of the Qualifiers while the remaining sixteen won't get started until November 2020.

In the build-up to the four-team Qualifiers in Yaounde, FIBA.basketball compiled some key notes that may help you follow the event.

Starting with Cameroon. The hosts return to the Palais Polyvalent des Sports de Yaounde for a major event for the first time since November 2017 when they finished second in Group A of the FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers.

Players to watch

Cameroon may not count with some of their biggest names, in the form of NBA All-Stars Joel Embiid and Pascal Siakam, but they won't be short in talent.

Kenneth Kadji, Arnaud Adala Moto, and Benoit Mbala - an impactful experienced trio for the Cameroonians in recent years - are expected to play a major role in a team coached by Gilles Bouwe.

The Cameroonians haven't missed a FIBA AfroBasket since 2007, when they finished runners-up after a defeat to hosts Angola, and although they have experienced a number of ups and downs over the last few years, finishing top of Group C is very much a must-do.

While playing the first three games at home may suggest an easy ride for the 'Indomitable Lions', Cote d'Ivoire may prove a hurdle to overcome.

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La FIBB a dévoilé la liste officielle des 12 Eléphants qui iront au Cameroun pour les éliminatoires de l'AfroBasket 2021. 💪🇨🇮🏀 Edi Guy Landry, Vafessa Fofana, Souleyman Diabaté, Jean François Kebe, Mohamed Koné, Pohoulou Serge, Bryan Pamba, Hima Seydou, Daouda Camara, Coulibaly Bali, Stéphane Konaté, Konaté Lassina.

A post shared by IvoireBasketOfficiel (@ivoirebasketofficiel) on Feb 14, 2020 at 6:18am PST

The Ivorians, who currently rank at No. 5 in Africa above all Group C opponents - according to FIBA's latest World Ranking update -, called up nine of the twelve players who featured at FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in China.

FIBA World Ranking, presented by NIKE

They also signed Spaniard Natxo Lezkano as head coach, and according to small forward Stephane Konate, they head to Yaounde with a clear goal of winning as many games as possible.

Key Matchup

The last time Ivorians and Cameroonians faced each other at FIBA AfroBasket 2013, hosts Cote d'Ivoire prevailed 71-56 in Quarter-Finals.

Guinea arrive in Yaounde as the most familiar team to Cameroon, having registered a 0-3 record in the head-to-head, dating back to the FIBA AfroBasket 2017 co-hosted by Tunisia and Senegal.

Meanwhile, Equatorial Guinea enter the competition trying to qualify for the Final Round of FIBA Africa's most important basketball event for the very first time.

How they qualified

While Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea qualified to this Qualifier by virtue of taking part at the FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers, Equatorial Guinea earned their ticket after finishing top of FIBA Africa Zone 4 Qualifiers last month in Malabo.