ABIDJAN (Côte d'Ivoire) - With the U18 AfroBasket qualifiers approaching, national teams from various FIBA Africa Zones will compete for some of the available spots at this year's tournament in Côte d’Ivoire (date to be confirmed) during the qualifying window from May to July.
As the qualifiers draw nearer, FIBA.basketball looks back at some of the highlights from the 2024 AfroBasket tournament in South Africa.
An opportunity for South Africa to grow the game
For South Africa, hosting the tournament was a highlight, as the country last hosted the same tournament in 2006.
Welcoming 11 other nations to its shores put South Africa in the basketball spotlight, a position it still holds with considerable potential.
Although the results on the court did not go the host nation’s way (1–4), it was a small step towards encouraging South Africa's youth to take up the sport.
Mali flex their muscle in African basketball
Mali, one of the giants of youth basketball in Africa, triumphed for the third time in the U18 AfroBasket tournament, remaining unbeaten (6–0) in South Africa two years ago.
This success paved the way for their fifth appearance at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in Switzerland the following year.
This saw the emergence of Mali’s Youssouf Mamby Traoré, who averaged 12.8 points, 16.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game and was crowned tournament MVP. Traoré averaged a double-double in each game and finished the final with 15 points and 14 rebounds.
His teammate, shooting guard Sekou Bakayoko, also formed part of the U18 AfroBasket All-Star five. Bakayoko averaged 15.3 points and 4.3 assists in the tournament, putting in outstanding performances against Cameroon in the group stage (22 points, 5/9 from the arc) and Senegal in the semi-finals (24 points, 6/11 from the arc).
Cameroon roar on their debut
In their U18 AfroBasket debut, Cameroon stormed through the knockout stages after a slow start in the group stages (finishing with two wins and two losses), powering their way to the final.
Led by former senior national team player Kevin Ngwese, the Central African nation’s journey at the U18 continental tournament culminated in their first appearance at the U19 World Cup.
Amadou Seini carried Cameroon on his broad shoulders, contributing an impressive 12 points and 15.7 rebounds per game. He set Cameroon on course in the quarter-final against Rwanda with 15 points and 23 rebounds, and in the semi-final against Morocco with 15 points and 19 rebounds.
Seini is a defensive fortress in the paint and a threat at the opposition's end. His numbers and performances led to an All-Star five selection. Since bursting onto the scene, Seini has become part of Cameroon’s senior setup.
Senegal maintain their consistency
Senegal has a history of strong performances at the tournament.
Of their eight appearances at the U18 AfroBasket tournament, they only finished outside the top four once, placing fifth in 2022.
Two years ago, they returned to form, finishing third in South Africa. Cheikh Biteye led the Senegalese in scoring with 14.5 points, while Code Mbengue led them in rebounding with 10.5.
Morocco steps out of the shadows
Another dark horse at the tournament was Morocco, who had not competed since 2012.
The North Africans had a remarkable run, making it all the way to the semi-finals for the first time with a 3-3 record.
Rayane Solhi led the Moroccans with 18.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists during the 2024 tournament.
He scored in double figures throughout Morocco's campaign and had standout games against South Africa in the group phase (22 points and 11 rebounds) and Angola in the quarter-final (22 points and six rebounds).
Zambia get a taste of top-class competition
Apart from Cameroon, Zambia was another newcomer to the U18 tournament.
They earned a solitary group stage win over South Africa and a placement win over Uganda. Brighton Kalizi was Zambia's star player, scoring 13.6 points and grabbing 12.8 rebounds.
As with South Africa, Zambia’s participation in the youth competition could inspire a new generation of players from the country.
A new generation will take up the baton for their countries this year, and there will be upsets and dreams of U18 AfroBasket glory realised in the pursuit of a place in Côte d’Ivoire.
FIBA