ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - It's been two months since Africa crowned its new champions, and fans from across the continent and beyond are eagerly awaiting the start of the World Cup African Qualifiers, which begins later in November.
Eight national teams travel to Rades, Tunisia, for Window 1 of the African Qualifiers and we picked five unmissable games.
Cameroon v Cape Verde (Group A)
Thursday, November 27 - 11:00 (GMT+1)
Two months ago, Cape Verde and Cameroon narrowly missed out on reaching the final, with both being eliminated in the quarter-finals and semi-finals by the eventual champions, Angola.
Imagine two teams for whom fast breaks and intense defence are trademarks, and you have the Cameroonians and the Cape Verdeans.
They have made so much progress in recent years that they have carried their countries' flags on the international stage, causing quite a stir. Cameroon stunned Brazil in the 2022 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, while Cape Verde upset Venezuela in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Japan.
The two teams have not faced off since the 2015 AfroBasket, when Cameroon emerged victorious. Prior to that, Cameroon won by 21 points (74–53) in the 2013 African Championship in Côte d'Ivoire.
Nigeria v Tunisia (Group C)
Thursday, November 27 - 17:00 (GMT+1)
This is a must-watch matchup between two former African champions with a long-standing rivalry.
Meeting in Rades could not be more significant. In 2015, Nigeria won their first and only AfroBasket title in Rades by beating Angola in the final, despite having lost to Tunisia in the group phase.
Two years later, in 2017, Tunisia emerged victorious, beating Nigeria in Rades to win their second AfroBasket title.
Nigeria recorded their first-ever Olympic win against Tunisia in 2012.
Coach Adel Tlatli, who masterminded Tunisia's first ever African title in 2011 and led the team at the 2012 Olympics, has returned to the helm — a decision that has been widely regarded as a major boost for the three-time African champions.
Nigeria have won five and lost two of their previous seven matches against Tunisia, dating back to the 1999 AfroBasket.
Cape Verde v South Sudan (Group A)
Friday, November 28 - 14:00 (GMT+1)
The first and only time the South Sudanese and the Cape Verdeans faced off, the latter emerged victorious in an FIBA Invitational Tournament in Yaoundé, Cameroon. This win saw Cape Verde advance to the 2021 AfroBasket Qualifiers.
If the likes of Edy Tavares (Cape Verde) and Wenyen Gabriel (South Sudan) are available for this match, it will be a battle of the giants in the paint.
Guinea v Nigeria (Group C)
Saturday, November 29 - 14:00 (GMT+1)
Judging by the tenacity and fast-paced style of play that Guinea displayed at the AfroBasket in August, this promises to be an intriguing match, especially given Nigeria's eagerness to regain their former glory.
Cameroon v South Sudan (Group A)
Sunday, November 30 - 11:00 (GMT+1)
South Sudan have a 2–0 head-to-head record against Cameroon, but the arrival of Jeremy Hill in 2023 made Cameroon even more competitive.
South Sudan will have to stop Hill if they are to maintain their 11-1 record in the World Cup African Qualifiers.
FIBA