LUANDA - MOCAMEDES (Angola) - The FIBA AfroBasket is not just about talented players showcasing their talent on Africa's biggest basketball stage or crowds competing with their best choreography to catch the eye of videographers. It's about pride.
Only one of the 16 nations will take home the coveted 2025 FIBA AfroBasket title on Sunday, August 24.
Here's an A to Z of everything you need to know about this year's AfroBasket.
A
ANGOLA - The Southern African country is hosting the tournament for the fourth time, having done so in 1989, 1999 and 2007. Angola won three of their eleven AfroBasket titles while playing as hosts.
B
BAL - The Basketball Africa League is highly represented in the 2025 AfroBasket, with three of its last five Most Valuable Players (Nuni Omot, Jo Lual Acuil Jr. both from South Suda and Senegal's Jean Jacques Boissy) competing for their respective countries.
C
Competition System - The sixteen national teams are divided into four groups of four teams each. The winner of each group advances to the quarterfinals. The second- and third-place teams from Groups A and B will compete against each other, as will the second-place teams from Groups C and D, to determine the final four quarterfinalists. The teams that finish last in their groups will be eliminated.
D
Dates - The tournament is scheduled to take place from Tuesday, August 12 to Sunday, August 24.
E
EuroLeague - Seven players have featured in the 2024-2025 EuroLeague season: Apha Diallo (Monaco/Guinea), Wenyen Gabriel (South Sudan/Panathinaikos), Ousmane N'Diaye (Baskonia Victoria/Senegal), Jilson Bango (Angola/Fenerbahçe), Bruno Fernando (Real Madrid/Angola), Matt Costello (Valencia/Cote d'Ivoire), Edy Tavares (Real Madrid/Cape Verde).
F
Former AfroBasket champions - Stan Okoye is the only player in Nigeria's current roster to have won their only AfroBasket title back in 2015. Other players who have lifted the AfroBasket trophy include Tunisians Omar Abada, Achref Gannouni, Oussama Marnaoui and Ahmed Addami.
G
Groups - All sixteen teams have been divided into four groups of four each as follows:
Group A: Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Cape Verde Group B: Tunisia, Madagascar, Nigeria and Cameroon Group C: Angola, South Sudan, Guinea, and Libya Group D: Senegal, Mali, Egypt and Uganda
H
History in the making? - The number of AfroBasket title contenders is higher than ever before. Tunisia are looking to become the first team since Angola, who won six titles in a row from 1999 to 2009, to win a three-peat. Senegal are chasing their first African title since 1997. Nigeria are aiming for their first AfroBasket crown in a decade. Côte d'Ivoire have lost two finals since winning its last title in 1985, in 2009 and 2021. South Sudan arrived in Angola as the number one team on the continent and will be aiming for its first continental trophy. Will there be new African champions? Tunisia and others will have a say.
I
Indestructible records? - There have been some jaw-dropping individual performances that have stood as tournament records since 2009. Here are some AfroBasket records that have lasted since Libya hosted the tournament 16 years ago. At the 2009 African Championship, former Cape Verde international Jeff Xavier had a 38-point performance in a 100-63 win against the Republic of the Congo. This record still stands today. Nigeria's Ime Udoka set a record with 11 assists in a 78-63 win against Mozambique in the 2011 AfroBasket, but Uganda's Ishmail Wainright tied his record in 2021. During Egypt's remarkable AfroBasket campaign, Assem Marei had a historic 19 rebounds in a 69-62 loss to Côte d'Ivoire in 2013. Marei's rebounding record still stands. Jeff Xavier (Cape Verde) and Libya's Mohamed Mrsal established the record for most three-pointers in a single game in the 2009 edition of the tournament with eight each. The record was tied by 2015 AfroBasket MVP Chamberlain Oguchi of Nigeria. Zimbabwe's Vitalis Chikoko and Cape Verde's Edy Tavares hold the record for the most blocked shots in an AfroBasket game, with six each. Gabon's Lerry Essono set an AfroBasket record for steals with seven in a 78-54 loss to Mali in 2015.
J
Jean Jacques Nshobozwabyosenumukiza - Jean Jacques Nshobozwabyosenumukiza, a household name in African basketball circles, leads a list of familiar faces who will sit out the 2025 AfroBasket for various reasons. Other notable absentees include Libya's Mohamed Sadi, Senegal's Youssoupha Ndoye, Cape Verde's Marcos Santos Silva, Uganda's Ishmail Wainright, Egypt's Assem Marei, reigning MVP Makram Ben Romdhane, who recently ended his national team career after helping Tunisia to three AfroBasket titles, and Côte d'Ivoire's Alexander Antoine Poythress.
K
Konate - Blessed with athleticism few possess, seven-time AfroBasket player Stéphane Konaté is another former player transitioning into coaching. He currently serves as an assistant coach for Côte d'Ivoire.
L
Lethal scorers. Over the past few years we witnessed some lethal scorers at AfroBasket and this year's event is loaded with them.
M
Multi-Host Cities - The AfroBasket is usually a one-city event across Africa, but Angola has kept its tradition of hosting the tournament in more than one city. Only Libya (2009) organised it in Benghazi and Tripoli. In 2007, Angola hosted the event in five cities: Benguela, Cabinda, Huambo, Luanda and Lubango.
N
NBA influence - Several former and current NBA players arrived in Angola to represent their countries in the Pan-African basketball tournament. Among them is Guinea's Mamadi Diakite, who won the 2019 NCAA title with the Virginia Cavaliers and the 2021 NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks.
O
Outsiders? - Before major tournaments, there is often a debate about legitimate title contenders and outsiders. However, this tournament offers no such thing. It's one of the most evenly matched tournaments in years. Anyone can beat anyone.
P
Players to watch - There is a number of players you have to watch at the 2025 AfroBasket. CLICK HERE.
Q
Question mark on everyone's lips - Angola traditionally boasts a remarkable home record, but can they live up to expectations? Since hosting the 1989 AfroBasket, Angola has only lost one home game. This occurred in November 2021 during the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup African qualifiers, when Angola fell to Côte d'Ivoire 57–56 in Benguela.
R
Returning to the AfroBasket - Congolese Christian Eyenga last played at AfroBasket in 2007 in Angola. The 36-year-old and former NBA player with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Lakers is part of a Congolese team aiming greatness in their neighbouring country.
S
Stars of the last AfroBasket - Except for Makram Ben Romdhane, the 2021 MVP, and Gorgui Dieng, who retired from his playing career, three other players named to the 2021 AfroBasket — Omar Abada (Tunisia), Matt Costello (Cote d'Ivoire), and Edy Tavares (Cape Verde) — are back for the 2025 AfroBasket.
T
Transitioning from player to coaching - Three of the 16 head coaches for the 2025 AfroBasket tournament played for their respective countries in the tournament before becoming coaches.
Mohamed Abdulrahman played for Nigeria in four editions of AfroBasket: 2001, 2005, 2007, and 2009. His assistant, Jeleel Akindele, played in the tournament in 2007, 2009, and 2017.
Egypt's head coach, Mounir Elkerdany, played in the 2011 AfroBasket, and Cameroon's head coach, Alfred Aboya, is a three-time AfroBasket player. He represented Cameroon in the tournament in 2009, 2011, and 2013.
Anibal Moreira and Miguel Lutonda, Angola's assistant coaches who led the team during the 2025 AfroBasket qualifiers, have also helped Angola win titles. Côte d'Ivoire's assistant coach, Stéphane Konaté, is a seven-time AfroBasket player.
U
U19 historic success - No other African team has achieved greater success than Mali in the FIBA U19 World Cup. In 2019, a group of young Malians stunned the basketball world by finishing second. Coached by Alhadji Dicko, who is Mali's head coach for the 2025 AfroBasket tournament, the team wrote a unique chapter in African basketball history. One of their star players in that tournament was Oumar Ballo, who was named to the 2019 U19 World Cup All-Star Team. Ballo is set to make his AfroBasket debut.
V
Victories - One team has achieved an impressive number of consecutive victories. Since defeating Senegal 82-73 in the third-place game of the 2015 AfroBasket tournament, Tunisia has won all subsequent AfroBasket games, amassing a 13-0 winning streak. Most recently, they defeated Côte d'Ivoire 78-75 to win the AfroBasket title in Kigali, Rwanda.
W
Where, Where and How to watch the 2025 AfroBasket - CLICK HERE
X
X-factor games - A number of games will surely define the outcome of the 2025 AfroBasket. However, the biggest question mark looms in Group B, which includes two former AfroBasket champions, Nigeria and Tunisia, as well as a legitimate title contender, Cameroon.
Y
Young Player to watch - Born in 2005, Mathias M'Madi is one of the top prospects the islanders have ever produced. MVP of the 2022 U18 AfroBasket, M'Madi is a lethal scorer. Joining M'madi in a list of top prospects are seven-footer center Amadou Seini, a 2007-born and 16-year-old Nour Gassem Toure of Guinea.
Z
Zero wins - Both Cameroon and Mali registered zero win in the last edition of the tournament in 2021 in Rwanda. Both teams finished 0-3. Their last wins in the tournament happened in the 2017 edition of the event.
FIBA