ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - There's been countless incredible games and breathtaking individual plays since the start of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Africa Qualifiers in November, but some plays have greatly impacted and defined the first two windows of the qualifiers.

With 24 games into the African Qualifiers, only two teams remain remain undefeated: Cote d'Ivoire and South Sudan won all their three games each.

Who would have thought that the continent heavyweights would have tasted defeat so early? We looked back at the past 24 games, and selected 3 plays that defined Window 1 and 2 of the African Qualifiers. 

Don't forget to rank your favorite plays below!

Angola v Cote d'Ivoire (November 26, 2021) 

Context: Angola had never lost a game on home soil but to protect their home unbeaten run, the eleven-time African champions needed stop the high-flying Cote d'Ivoire, a team that made tremendous progress in recent years and shows no signs of slowing down. For Angola, a team trying to return to their glory days on the continent, starting the African Qualifiers with a win was a must. Their 16-0 run to start the game exemplified their determination. 

Hero: With the ‘Elephants' of Cote d’Ivoire trailing Angola 56-55 and less than six seconds remaining, Cote d’Ivoire's veteran guard Stephane Konate missed a three-pointer. However, shooting guard Maxence Dadiet's tip-in changed the course of the game to shock the hosts who still had a few seconds retake the lead, but things didn't work their way.

Outcome: Unlike their 2019 African Qualifiers campaign when Angola started 3-0 at home, Cote d'Ivoire went to close the first round of Group C undefeated in three games, while Angola finished second (2-1). 

Nigeria v Mali (November 27, 2021)

Context: After being shocked by Cape Verde the day before, Nigeria - the highest-ranked team in Africa - needed to get back on track against a highly-motivated Mali team. What initially seemed to be an easy task for the D'Tigers turned out to be a challenge for the ages. After trailing by as many as 12 points, Nigeria desperately needed to change the course of events to avoid going down 0-2 in Group A.

 
Hero: Jordan Ogundiran, who had joined the team a few hours earlier, wasn't prepared to go down easily. He buried a three-pointer plus the free-throw to complete the four-point play with 3.7 seconds left to give D'Tigers a decisive 72-70 lead. Mali still had a few seconds to reverse the score, but as N’Faly Kanoute drove to the basket for a potential winning-layup, defender Chris Obekpa swatted his shot to save Nigeria.

Outcome: With the win over Mali, Nigeria improved to 1-1, and eventually went on to close the first round of Group A with a 2-1 mark alongside Mali. Back in 2019, Nigeria started 3-0.

Tunisia v South Sudan (November 26, 2021)

Context: Tunisia hadn't lost an official game in Africa since December 2018. Five months earlier, Tunisia had beaten South Sudan in the 2021 FIBA AfroBasket Quarter-Finals, making this a must-watch rematch.  

 
Hero: Mareng Gatkuoth came off the bench to inspire the South Sudanese offense in a way that shocked the African basketball scene. Gatkuoth was 4-for-5 from behind the arc, but it was his last three-pointer with 1:36 minutes left - with two defenders over him - that inflicted Tunisia the hardest punch as it gave South a 61-50 lead. This prompted Tunisia to call a timeout, but it proved fruitless.

Outcome: The win boosted South Sudan's chances to close the first round of Group B with a 3-0 record while Tunisia, who had started their 2019 African Qualifiers with a 3-0, had to settle to a 2-1 mark after three games. 

Rank your favorite plays here!

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