ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - Looking back at the first twelve games of the 2027 Qatar World Cup qualifying campaign reveals some remarkable moments and hints at what lies ahead in the next four rounds.
In this article we highlight five moments that stole the show in Window 1 of the African Qualifiers in November which took place in Rades, Tunisia.
Guinea: The undefeated
Just nine moments after losing to Tunisia by a single point (64–63) in the final match of the 2025 AfroBasket qualifiers in Libya, Guinea stunned the hosts by winning 66–57.
Home fans showed up in their thousands, hoping to see their team achieve a perfect 3–0 home record, but Guinea had other ideas, never allowing Tunisia to go on scoring runs.
For every attempt by Tunisia to take the lead, Guinea responded with precision and efficiency, eventually finishing as the only undefeated team in Groups A and C in the first round.
Guinea's 3–0 winning record hints at a new dawn in the African basketball scene. This is a team that had a win-loss record of 3–15 over the last two editions of the World Cup African Qualifiers (2019 and 2023).
Makur Maker: The difference-maker
South Sudan may have missed some of their star players in their first three Group A games, but newcomer Makur Maker showed everyone why the Bright Stars are so talented.
The 2.10 m (6 ft 10 in) forward was superb against Cape Verde, shooting 6 for 6 from the floor, including 5 for 5 from deep, to finish with 23 points, the highest in the game, as South Sudan won 109–79.
South Sudan were the first team in the current African Qualifiers campaign to reach 100 points.
Along the way, Maker averaged 10 points and 4.7 rebounds over three games. It's a promising start to Maker's Bright Stars career.
Cameroon's defence out of this world!
It's rare to see high-scoring South Sudan held to just 56 points, but that's exactly what Cameroon achieved.
The Cameroonians were desperate to make a statement after a shaky start to the qualifiers, which saw them lose 82–77 to Cape Verde.
Therefore, finishing the first round of Group A strongly was essential for the Indomitable Lions, who beat South Sudan 60–56.
Cameroon forced South Sudan to shoot 3 for 30 from deep, finishing with an overall shooting percentage of 16 for 37, and turned the ball over 14 times.
South Sudan last scored fewer than 60 points in a 76–56 loss to Nigeria in the 2021 AfroBasket qualifiers in Kigali.
How Nigeria survived a Rwanda scare
The former African champions arrived in Rades hoping to make a strong start to the World Cup African Qualifiers after a promising 2025 AfroBasket campaign. However, they faced one challenge after another.
Coming back from a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter to eventually win 75–69 in overtime felt like a miracle. Not a miracle in the true sense, but rather a terrible mistake by Rwandan Prince Muhizi.
With Rwanda leading by three (61–58) and just four seconds remaining, Muhizi fouled Morris Udeza, who went on to convert a two-handed dunk followed by a free throw.
Udeza's free throw sent the game to overtime, where Nigeria outscored Rwanda 14–8 to secure the 75–69 win. Udeza was Nigeria's hero, finishing with 30 points and 10 rebounds.
Nigeria finished second in Group C after the first round, while Rwanda returned home without a win after three games.
Evans makes it rain vs Rwanda
Shannon Evans currently leads all players in scoring in the World Cup African Qualifiers with an average of 22.7 points per game. This is thanks to his ferocious attacks on the rim, his ability to shoot from every corner of the floor, and his knack for creating shooting opportunities for himself and others.
Evans' unstoppable performances are just an example of his shooting skill, as evidenced by his equalling the record for the most three-pointers made in an African Qualifier, finishing with 25 points after going 7-for-11 from behind the arc.
FIBA