RADES/LAGOS (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 African Qualifiers) - The Second Round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 African Qualifiers starts on Friday with twelve countries hoping to increase their chances of securing one of the five tickets to China.

From September 14-16, Rades and Lagos will be the homes to African basketball followers.

In Rades, on the outskirts of Tunis, Tunisia will host the first-leg of Group E of the African Qualifiers, while Nigeria's biggest city Lagos will be home to Group F's first-leg.

Each country has played six games each so far, but only Nigeria and Tunisia remain undefeated.

How much longer can these countries' records last? It's a matter of time, or not.

Group E

Six wins in as many games say it all about Tunisia's pedigree. But, can Tunisia prevail against Angola, Morocco, and Egypt?

Although Tunisians currently live one of their best moment as a team, they will need to live up to their credentials to overcome high-flying Morocco, a team that has a history of causing Tunisia some headache in recent years. 

And, the last time, Tunisia faced Angola in front of their home fans, things didn't go according to plan as the latter went on to reach the FIBA AfroBasket 2015 Final.

Still in Group E Cameroon (5-1) have become a legitimate contender to qualify for their first-ever world stage competition. 

With a team that blends a few home-based players and a hugely-talented foreign-based squad, Cameroon seem - at least in theory - strong enough to remain one of the group favorites. 

The question everyone is asking is 'How far can Chad go?

As a team that never throws in the towel, they must be taken seriously even though Chad - who lead all teams in reboundings - currently sit as the lowest ranked team among the twelve teams in the Second Round of the African Qualifiers.      

Group F

Playing in front of a home crowd has its benefits and Nigeria are ensuring to avoid any disappointment by selecting some - if not - their finest athletes.

From team captain Ike Diogu - one of the few Nigerians who has played all their six games - to Al-Farouq Aminu - who is making his return to the team since helping his country win their first-ever FIBA AfroBasket three years ago - Nigeria are loaded with talent.

The Nigerians will clearly be the team to beat when they face the Central African Republic, Cote d'Ivoire and Senegal. 

Perhaps Nigeria's toughest opposition might come from Senegal, a team that has caused them some tough time in recent years. 

So, at first glance, Nigeria and Senegal - who also have named a star-studded team for the Lagos showdown - emerge as the Group F frontrunners. 

How to watch the games?

There is a number of ways to watch the games. It just depends on your location. As well as the online option of Live Basketball, games will be shown on StarTimes, Canal Plus, beIN Sports and TPA (Angola).

Players to watch

Some of Africa's finest players will be on display in Rades and Lagos, including Gorgui Dieng  (Senegal), Ike Diogu and Al-Farouq Aminu (Nigeria), Yanick Moreira and Carlos Morais (Angola), Makram Ben Romdhane and Salah Mejri (Tunisia), Benoit Mbala and Jeremy Nzeulie (Cameroon), Omar Oraby (Egypt), Ali Lahrichi (Morocco), Michael Koibe (Chad), Souleyman Diabate (Cote d'Ivoire), Ibrahim Djambo (Mali), Max Kouguere (Central African Republic) and Kenneth Gasana (Rwanda). 

Unmissable matchups 

All games matter at this stage of the competition, but some are so important that they are rated as must-watch games.

And here are some of them:

Tunisia v Angola, September 16. This is a clash between two former African champions with a history of an intense rivalry. Three years ago, Angola prevailed in a low-scoring game 58-51 in front of Tunisian fans.

Nigeria v Senegal, September 16. This is a clash between the two highest-ranked teams on the continent of Africa. 

FIBA