Cape Verde admitted back into FIBA AfroBasket 2017 Zone 2 Qualifiers

PRAIA (FIBA AfroBasket 2017) - Cape Verde have been readmitted in the FIBA AfroBasket 2017 Zone 2 qualifiers, FIBA Africa confirmed on Tuesday.

Last month, the newly-elected Cape Verdean Basketball Federation (FCBB) board of directors decided to pull out of the regional qualifiers. However, since then, a large number of current and former Cape Verde internationals - led by Rodrigo Mascarenhas - have come forward to contest the decision.

In the process, Cape Verde's General Board of Sports - a wing of the Central Government - met with members of FCBB and then made a formal request to FIBA Africa to reconsider FCBB's decision.

In response, basketball's governing body in Africa accepted the islanders' request.

Cape Verde will therefore take part in next month's four-team qualifiers in Bamako and Dakar.

Senegal, Cape Verde, Guinea and Mali will compete for the two tickets on offer for Zone 2 teams for FIBA AfroBasket 2017 in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo (August 19-30).

The first leg of the qualifier will be played in the Malian capital of Bamako on 19 March with the return game to follow in Dakar a week later.

The islanders currently sit 63rd in the FIBA World Ranking Men (12th in Africa). Cape Verde have appeared in the last two editions of FIBA AfroBasket.

FIBA