ABIDJAN/MONASTIR (Cote d'Ivoire/Tunisia) - One thing that has marked Window 4 of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 African Qualifiers so far is variety and of talented players.

From terrific ball handlers, unique rebounders and formidable shooters, they come in different form and shapes.

And Day 2 of W4 of the African Qualifiers was a clear example of the endless array of stars making noise in Abidjan and Monastir - the two host cities of this phase of the competition. 

When Angola needed a man to face Cape Verde's Walter Tavares, Jilson Bango did the job his team desperately need to. But it wasn't just defensively that the 23-year-old fulfilled his task with admirable effort.

Offensively, Bango was a nightmare for Caper Verde, and his 13 points and 7 rebounds in 29 minutes proved vital in the 65-58 triumph for the eleven-time African champions.

Another man that starts to make his name talked about in African basketball circles is South Sudan's shooting guard Mareng Gatkuoth, who came off the bench to convert 4 of his 8 three-point attempts to finish with 16 points in 18:15 minutes in his team' 101-58 demolition over DR Congo.

Cote d'Ivoire remain as the only undefeated team in the African Qualifiers (6-0), and Alexander Poythress made sure on Saturday to add his name to the Elephants' main asset after contributing 25 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assist and a 38 efficiency rate.

Can anyone talk about Egypt's success in the last two qualifying windows for the World Cup without a mention to Assem Marei?  Probably not. His numbers in Saturday's 86-74 win over Cameroon speak for themselves.

Tokyo 2020 Olympian is making his debut with Nigeria on African soil, and his display on Saturday was a thing of beauty. 

FIBA