ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - Every two years, twelve African nations gather in a preselected country to determine the U18 Women's AfroBasket champion for the continent. That time is now.
This year's event has a number of unique features.
Who are the contenders?
The 12-team lineup is led by perennial champions Mali, two-time winners Egypt, and one-time champions Senegal and Tunisia.
Also included are hosts Côte d'Ivoire, as well as the Central African Republic, Uganda, Kenya, Morocco, Benin, Nigeria, and Cameroon.
When and where will the 2026 U18 Women's AfroBasket take place?
The biennial tournament will take place in Côte d'Ivoire for the first time from August 5-16. Abidjan, the country's largest city and a regular host of major African tournaments, hosted the last Women's AfroBasket in 2025.
How can you follow the games?
In addition to being able to watch the game on FIBA's YouTube channel, FIBA will provide comprehensive coverage of the tournament on its social media platforms.
Competition system
The twelve teams have been divided into three groups of four teams each: Groups A, B, and C.
Each team will play three games in the group phase. The top two teams in each group will advance to the quarterfinals, as will the two best third-place teams.
The teams that finish in last place in each group will compete for ninth to twelfth place in the tournament.
What else is at stake?
The two finalists of the 2026 FIBA U18 Women's AfroBasket will earn the opportunity to represent Africa at the 2027 FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup, which will be held in China.
Historic Facts of the U18 Women's AfroBasket
No team in the history of the U18 Women's AfroBasket has been more dominant than Mali. They have won seven of the last ten editions (2006–2024).
Egypt has the most silver medals in the event's history with four second-place finishes.
The Central African Republic will appear in the tournament for the first time since 2004.
Côte d'Ivoire will be the fifth different African country to organize the biennial tournament since 2018.
Full schedule
CLICK Here for the 2026 U18 Women's AfroBasket schedule.
FIBA