ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - The next 12 games in Cairo and Dakar will provide a clearer picture of the race for a place at the 2027 Qatar World Cup.
From Thursday, February 26 to Sunday, March 1, eight teams will begin their qualifying campaigns in the hope of securing one of the five places available to African nations at next year's quadrennial World Cup.
The focus of African basketball will be on the Marius N'Diaye Gymnasium in the Senegalese capital city and the Borg Al Arab Sports Hall in the Egyptian city of Alexandria.
The eight teams have been split into Groups B (Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar and Senegal) and D (Angola, Egypt, Mali and Uganda).
The qualifying campaigns of the first eight teams began last November in Rades, Tunisia.
Here's where each team stands.
#16 - Uganda (-)
Everyone is asking how Bosnian Goran Lojo, who took up the position of head coach a month before the tournament, can turn things around.
Uganda currently has one of the worst win-loss records (2–14) in the World Cup African qualifiers.
Heading to Cairo to take on the reigning champions Angola, the ambitious Egyptians and Malians will be a huge challenge.
The absence of Arthur Kaluma, Ishmail Wainright and Brandon Davis from the Silverbacks' preliminary roster soon after its announcement raised serious questions about their chances.
#15 - Libya (-1)
At this stage, it's fair to conclude that it's taking head coach Sam Vincent too long to generate positive results.
Since the former NBA player took charge of the North African team just before the 2025 AfroBasket tournament, Libya has remained without a single win.
Three consecutive losses at the African Championship in August, followed by a further three losses in Window 1 of the African Qualifiers in November, have raised more questions than answers about Libya's chances in the tournament.
#14 - Madagascar (+1)
The islanders of Madagascar are making their first-ever appearance in the African World Cup Qualifiers.
Although securing one of the five World Cup tickets for African teams seems elusive, winning games in Group B is not impossible.
#13 - Rwanda (-)
Rwanda's 75–69 overtime loss to Nigeria could be a motivating factor or a setback.
At this stage, all the East Africans need to do is re-strategise and ensure that players like David McCormack are available for the rest of the qualifiers.
#12 - Nigeria (-1)
If Nigeria are to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 2019, the D'Tigers can no longer afford moments of inconsistency.
During the opening window of the African qualifiers in November, Nigeria went from forcing hosts Tunisia into overtime, eventually losing 88–78, to beating Rwanda 75–69 in overtime.
Losing two of their first three games in the World Cup qualifiers might prove costly, given how competitive the next games will be.
The good news is that Nigeria has time to turn things around.
#11 - DR Congo (+1)
History shows that the Congolese tend to start the African qualifiers positively, and they have fond memories of Dakar, where they won all three games in the opening window of the last World Cup qualifiers.
Four years ago, DR Congo secured a clean sweep with victories over Senegal, Egypt and Kenya in the Senegalese capital.
Can they beat Senegal again on home soil and overcome Côte d'Ivoire and Madagascar to maintain their momentum?
Judging by their performance at the 2025 AfroBasket, they are certainly capable of doing so!
#10 - Tunisia (-)
The former African champions are still searching for answers to explain their apparent decline on the African basketball scene.
However, winning two of their three home games last November gave the Carthage Eagles a much-needed boost to their morale.
Whatever the future holds for Tunisia in the African qualifiers, the three-time champions know that the race to the 2027 Qatar tournament will be anything but easy.
Coach Adel Tlatli recently admitted that they urgently need an import player to improve their chances in the competition.
#9 - Cape Verde (-)
Three years ago, the Blue Sharks of Cape Verde made headlines by becoming the smallest nation by population to ever qualify for the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Accustomed to adversity, Cape Verde opened their 2027 World Cup qualifiers with a 82–77 win over Cameroon.
However, their 30-point loss (109–79) to South Sudan has left them wondering what the future holds in the competition.
Real Madrid's Edy Tavares has been a godsend for the islanders. If the towering center commits to representing them for the rest of the qualifiers, they can dream big again.
Tavares' absence was evident against the taller, more physical South Sudan team.
Cape Verde, Cameroon and South Sudan are all on 2–1 in Group A.
#8 - South Sudan (-3)
If the Bright Stars of South Sudan are to replicate their spectacular 2023 World Cup qualifiers campaign, they know they have a long way to go.
Three years ago, not only did South Sudan win six games in a row at the start of the qualifiers, they also finished with the best record in Africa (11–1).
However, if their results in the 2025 AfroBasket and Window 1 are anything to go by, it seems that South Sudan are running out of gas. Their combined win–loss record for the two competitions is currently 3–4.
#7 - Côte d'Ivoire (-1)
Six months ago, Côte d'Ivoire performed well in the group phase of the AfroBasket, winning their group with a perfect 3–0 record.
However, they never expected to face such strong opposition from Mali, who ended their title dreams with a 102–96 overtime loss.
The Elephants are set to face Senegal, DR Congo and Madagascar in Group B, in what promises to be a challenging tournament.
The Ivorians are chasing their third consecutive World Cup appearance, and will need Jean Philippe Dally, Vafessa Fofana and Solo Diabaté to be at their best.
#6 - Mali (+2)
What makes this Malian team unique is their cohesion and togetherness.
The core of the team, including head coach Alhadji Dicko, have worked together for years. Together they made history by becoming the first African country to ever reach the FIBA U19 World Cup title game although they finish second to the USA in the 2019 tournament.
Facing Angola in Alexandria will be an opportunity for Mali to redeem themselves from the 2025 AfroBasket final loss.
#5 - Egypt (+2)
If Egypt's record in the African World Cup Qualifiers in Alexandria is anything to go by, Pharaohs fans might be feeling confident.
The last time Egypt played at the Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria, in July 2022, they completed a clean sweep against Senegal, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Six months later, they won two out of three games at the Al-Ittihad Alexandria Stadium to secure their place at the 2023 World Cup in Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines.
Can they defend their home court against the reigning champions, Angola, Mali and Uganda?
#4 - Cameroon (-)
Cameroon's combative spirit has become their trademark in recent years under coach Alfred Aboya, who wore his country's colours during his playing career.
Although they missed the services of sharpshooter Fabien Ateba and rising New Orleans Pelicans star Yves Missi in the opening qualifiers, the Indomitable Lions made an impressive showing, establishing themselves as serious contenders for one of the five World Cup places.
#3 - Senegal (-2)
There is no doubt that the favourite team to top Group B in Dakar in February 2026 is Senegal.
Senegal has one of the most passionate fan bases on the continent, and they have a young, talented squad that can deliver positive results.
Starting these qualifiers with a statement is surely their top priority — after all, the Lions are chasing their first World Cup qualification since 2019.
#2 - Angola (-)
They outplayed their opponents with a perfect 6-0 victory to win their twelfth African title at home last August. Now, the world is watching closely to see how Angola did it.
Champions are always the team to beat in any competition, and Angola are no exception. Because of their current status, Angolans have kept their winning AfroBasket squad and extended Coach Pepe Claros' contract. They feel ready to take on Alexandria.
Angola currently has an 8–0 head-to-head advantage over the hosts, Egypt, and has never lost to Mali in their previous five encounters.
#1 - Guinea (+2)
There are countless reasons to rank Guinea at the top, starting with the way they dominated and won all three of their Group C games in Tunisia last November.
Add to that the fact that they played without star players Alpha Diallo (Monaco) and NBA champion Mamadi Diakite (Saski Baskonia).
Even more impressively, they have beaten in the last twelves months four of the top ten African teams: Angola (2025 AfroBasket Qualifiers), South Sudan (2025 AfroBasket) and Nigeria and Tunisia (Window 1 of the 2027 World Cup Qualifiers).
DISCLAIMER: The Power Rankings are completely subjective and in no way represent an official or precise ranking system. All comments reflect the author’s opinions.
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