ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - The groups for the 2026 FIBA U18 Women's AfroBasket were confirmed at Sunday's draw ceremony in Côte d'Ivoire, Côte d'Ivoire with participating countries discovering their opponents.
The 12-nation tournament will take place in Abidjan from August 5-16.
The teams were divided into three groups of four and the hosts were drawn into Group A alongside Uganda, Kenya and the Central African Republic.
The finalists of this biennial tournament will represent Africa at next year's FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup in China.
The results of the draw are as follows:
Group A: Côte d'Ivoire, Central African Republic, Uganda, Kenya. Group B: Mali, Morocco, Egypt, Benin. Group C: Nigeria, Cameroon, Senegal, Tunisia.
COMPETITION SYSTEM
The twelve (12) teams will be divided into three (3) groups (A, B and C) of four (4) teams each.
Each team will play all the other teams in its own group (a total of three (3) games for each team). A total of eighteen (18) games shall be played in the Group Phase.
The teams finishing top of each group will be ranked from 1st to 3rd place, based on the number of wins and goal difference.
The teams finishing second in each group will be ranked from 4th to 6th place, based on the number of wins and goal difference.
The two best teams finishing third (across all groups) will then be ranked 7th to 8th,again based on goal difference.
The top eight teams will compete in the quarter-finals. The remaining four teams will play in the classification matches (places 9 to 12). The four quarter-final winners will contest the semi-finals, whilst the four losing teams will play the classification matches (places 5thto 8th).
The two semi-final winners will contest the final, and the two losing teams will play the match to decide 3rd and 4th place.
FINAL PHASE
The classification of teams from 1stto 12thplace shall be established according to the FIBA Official Basketball Rules, Chapter D – Classification of Teams.
QUARTER-FINALS
The Quarter-Finals shall be played as follows:
Game 21: Team placed 1st- Team placed 8th Game 22: Team placed 2nd– Team placed 7th Game 23: Team placed 3rd– Team placed 6th Game 24: Team placed 4th– Team placed 5th
The four winners of the QuarterFinals will qualify for the Semi-Finals (places 1-4). The four (4) losing teams of the Quarter-Finals will play the classification games (places 5th-8th).
SEMI-FINALS
Game 29: Winner 21 – Winner 24 (1-4) Game 30: Winner 22 – Winner 23 (1-4)
THIRD-PLACE GAME & FINAL
Game 33: Loser 29 – Loser 30 (3-4 place) Game 34: Winner 29 – Winner 30 (1-2 place, Final)
The two best teams will qualify for the 2027 FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup.
FIBA