ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - From 9 to 15 November, Côte d'Ivoire's largest city will be the centre of attention for African basketball, at least for the duration of the Elite 16 West Division tournament.
Read on to find out which players to keep an eye on throughout the week-long tournament.
Samba Fall - Shooting Guard
Date of Birth: January 17, 1999 Height: 194 cm / 6’4” Club: JCA Kings
With four years of experience at the BAL, Senegalese shooting guard Samba Fall is one of the top players to look out for at the tournament.
A good shooter of the ball, Fall can stretch the floor to create space in the lane for bigs to operate.
Mohammed Sadi - Guard/Forward
Date of Birth: May 8, 1995 Height: 194cm / 6’4” Club: Al Ittihad
Mohammed Sadi, winner of the Sportsmanship Award at the 2026 BAL and league winner in 2025, embodies discipline and consistently delivers for his teams at both ends of the court.
He is a reliable shooting guard who can also play as a three-man, and is an excellent rebounder with great outside shooting.
Franklin Agunanne - Forward
Date of Birth: September 8, 1998 Height: 205cm / 6’9” Club: BC Avenir du Rail
Aguanné, a Nigerian, is a dominant presence in the paint and could prove pivotal for the Republic of Congo's champions on both defence and offence.
Hermann Igouwe - Guard
Date of Birth: March 6, 2001 Height: 193cm / 6’4” Club: Espoir Basket Club
Everything at Espoir might run through Ronald Kolmia, but it’s skipper Hermann Igouwe who controls the ball for the Gabonese team.
Igouwe is an efficient scoring guard and showed a glimpse of it during the first round of the qualifiers. The question remains: can he replicate it at the Elite 16?
Sharif Fordham - Guard
Date of Birth: March 26, 2001 Height: 193 cm / 6’4” Club: Nabaya Sofas
Nabaya Sofas biggest attribute during the first round of the Road to BAL qualifiers was scoring, and one of the forces behind it was Sharif Fordham.
Fordham’s scoring ability could face a stern test at the Elite 16 against tougher defences, and how he navigates them is something to watch out for.
Mohamed Harat - Power Forward
Date of Birth: June 9, 1990 Height: 200cm / 6’7” Club: Nadi Basket Staoueli
Some games at the Elite 16 may require veteran experience to get the result.
Harat not only provides that experience, but he can also score around the basket.
James Amotoe - Guard
Date of Birth: July 3, 1998 Height: 183cm / 6’0” Club: Spintex Knights
A willing passer and scorer loaded with leadership abilities, James Amotoe goes into the tournament as one of the top playmakers.
The Knights’ success at the tournament could depend on whether Amotoe can replicate the first-round performance.
Damaria Franklin - Guard
Date of Birth: July 12, 1999 Height: 192cm / 6’3” Club: Stade Malien
Damaria Franklin is a speedy playmaker who can attack the rim with ferocity and can shoot.
When he gets going, Franklin can be difficult to stop, especially when finishing around the basket, given his ability off the drive.
Other players to watch
In addition to the aforementioned players, others to watch in the Elite 16 (West Division) include Antino Jackson Jr. (Al Ittihad), who helped the RSSB Tigers win the 2026 BAL title; Cape Verdean star Ivan Almeida (Al Ittihad); Deng Deng (Al Ittihad), a regular member of the South Sudanese national team; Puerto Rican Ismael Romero (Al Ittihad), who played in the 2024 Paris Olympics before helping the Libyan team Al Ahli Tripoli become the first African team to finish third in the 2025 FIBA Intercontinental Cup; Trevon Duval (JCA Kings), who played briefly in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks; Nigerian Kelvin Amayo (Stade Malien); and DR Congo's Rolly Fula (Stade Malien), a terrific three-point shooter.
FIBA