RADES (Tunisia) - Which team will take the lead in Group E in the first round?
With hosts and ambitious Tunisia, high-flying Cameroon, resurgent Nigeria, tenacious Cape Verde, giant-in-the-making Guinea, and genuine front-runners South Sudan, Group E is set to be a real battle.
The battleground? The iconic Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès, located on the outskirts of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia.
When is it happening? 27–30 August.
Here's what the group standings look like before the games get underway.
Position | Team | Record | Points | Opponents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Cameroon | 5-1 | 11 | Nigeria, South Sudan, Guinea |
2. | Guinea | 4-2 | 10 | Cameroon, Nigeria, South Sudan |
3. | Tunisia | 4-2 | 10 | Cape Verde, Cameroon, South Sudan |
4. | Nigeria | 4-2 | 10 | Guinea, Cameron, South Sudan |
5. | South Sudan | 4-2 | 10 | Guinea, Nigeria, Tunisia |
6. | Cape Verde | 3-3 | 9 | Tunisia, Guinea, Nigeria |
What's at stake?
The goal for Groups E and F is to compete for one of the five spots available to African teams in the 2027 World Cup.
The top two teams in each group will qualify for the 32-nation tournament. The remaining fifth spot will be decided based on the teams' best win-loss record as well as point-differential.
The more wins a team can get, the higher their chances of making it to the World Cup.
In addition to keeping their World Cup dreams alive, the higher a team finishes in the African qualifiers, the greater their chances of still competing for a spot in the FIBA pre-Olympic qualifying tournament.
Except for Guinea and Cameroon, all of the other Group E teams have played in the World Cup at some point in their history. Nigeria and Tunisia played in the 2019 World Cup, while South Sudan and Cape Verde debuted in the competition in 2023.
Key matchups
In all seriousness, every single game matters in Group E, as the teams are so evenly matched. The difference in wins between the top-ranked team and the lower-ranked team is just two.
However, there are some games you cannot afford to miss, including Nigeria vs. Cameroon, Nigeria vs. South Sudan, Cameroon vs. Tunisia, Guinea vs. Cameroon, and Tunisia vs. South Sudan.
Where and how to watch Window 4 of the African Qualifiers?
All African qualifier games will be streamed live on Courtside and FIBA partner channels.
Players to watch
A host of star players are set to shine in the first round of Group E. CLICK HERE to learn more.
VOTING POLL - Which team will take the lead in Group E?
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