ABIDJAN (Cote d’Ivoire) – Defending champions Friends Basketball Association (FBA) of FIBA Africa Zone 3 headline the field as four teams battle for the two coveted tickets to the Women’s Basketball League Africa (WBLA) Final Round, scheduled for 4–10 December 2025 in Cairo, Egypt.
The FIBA Africa Zone 3 Women’s WBLA Qualifiers, to be held from 21–23 November 2025, will feature a compact but highly competitive line-up: hosts and reigning champions FBA, domestic rivals CSA, Benin champions Energie BBC and Nigeria’s storied side First Bank.
With four teams in contention, the competition will adopt a three-day round-robin format, with the top two finishers advancing to Cairo.
Friend's Basketball Association - FBA (Côte d’Ivoire)
After their dominant 2024 campaign, which saw them clinch the Zone 3 title and finish fifth at the WBLA Final Round in Senegal, FBA arrived as the team to beat.
Their unbeaten run on the domestic front this season, in which they claimed every available trophy against local rivals SOA and CSA, reinforces their status as favourites.
The Abidjan-based club, also known as the Gladiators, has retained the core of last season's squad while adding key reinforcements to strengthen its ranks.
Head coach Lemou Benga is aware of the increased expectations and plans to capitalise on home support and team continuity as FBA chases back-to-back zonal titles and a place in the next WBLA Final Round.
Club Sportif Abidjan - CSA (Côte d’Ivoire)
As runners-up of the Ivorian national league, CSA will be looking to showcase their growth on a regional stage as they enter the qualifiers.
In their debut appearance in this competition, CSA intend to challenge the established order and demonstrate their ability to compete for one of the two available places.
With little to lose and everything to gain, the Ivorian contenders could be one of the tournament's success stories.
Energie BBC (Benin Republic)
Still basking in their triumph in the Benin Women’s National League, where they secured a decisive 67–48 win over rivals ASPAC, Energie BBC returns to familiar territory in the Zone 3 qualifiers.
Despite finishing fourth last year, they have taken significant steps to strengthen their squad by recruiting impact players from Mali, Senegal, Nigeria and Rwanda.
Their experience in previous competitions, coupled with their reinforced squad, positions them as serious contenders capable of upsetting the favourites.
First Bank (Nigeria)
First Bank, a traditional powerhouse in African women’s basketball and known as the Elephant Girls, returns to the regional stage with a point to prove.
Boasting a rich history of nine national titles, including Zone 3 titles, the club also won a continental championship in both 2003 and 2009.
Led by Julie Negedu, former Nigeria international and current U18/U19 women’s national team head coach, First Bank are eager to bounce back after finishing as runners-up in the Zenith Women’s Basketball League.
The Nigerian giants have added five new players to reinvigorate their line-up as they chase a long-awaited return to the WBLA Final Round.
With only two places available and four ambitious teams in contention, the FIBA Africa Zone 3 Qualifiers promise to be intense and full of quality basketball and drama. All four clubs have clear ambitions, but only two will progress to the continent’s premier women’s club competition in December.
The road to Cairo begins in Abidjan — and every game will matter.
FIBA