ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - Group D of the 2025 AfroBasket has a good mix of continental heavyweights in Senegal and Egypt, a dark horse in Mali, and an underdog in Uganda.
Ahead of the tournament in August (12-24), FIBA.Basketball delves into the Group D teams to give a breakdown of how they rank on the continent and the world, and which players make their teams tick.
Where do Group D teams rank
Egypt are the highest-ranked team in Group D (5th in Africa and 38th in the world), while Senegal is three places down (8th in Africa and 47th in the world).
Mali is 12th on the continent and ranked 83rd globally, while Uganda is a spot behind (13th) the West Africans continentally and two places (85th) behind in the global standings.
Head-to-Head results between Group D teams over the past decade
Tournament | Year | Game | Score | City | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AfroBasket | 2015 | Mali vs Egypt | 49-55 (Group C) | Rades, Tunisia | 23-8-2015 |
AfroBasket | 2015 | Mali vs Egypt | 51-74 (5-8 Classification Round) | Rades, Tunisia | 28-8-2015 |
AfroBasket | 2015 | Uganda vs Senegal | 48-79 (Round of 16) | Rades, Tunisia | 26-8-2015 |
AfroBasket | 2017 | Egypt vs Senegal | 52-87 (Group D) | Dakar, Senegal | 09-09-2017 |
AfroBasket | 2021 | Senegal vs Uganda | 93-55 (Group D) | Kigali, Rwanda | 25-08-2021 |
AfroBasket Qualifiers | 2021 | Egypt vs Uganda | 96-77 (Group E) | Alexandria, Egypt | 27-11-2020 |
World Cup African Qualifiers | 2019 | Mali vs Uganda | 79-76 (Group B) | Bamako, Mali | 24-02-2018 |
World Cup African Qualifiers | 2019 | Uganda vs Mali | 80-95 (Group B) | Lagos, Nigeria | 30-06-2018 |
World Cup African Qualifiers | 2019 | Mali vs Senegal | 71-82 | Lagos, Nigeria | 15-09-2018 |
World Cup African Qualifiers | 2019 | Senegal vs Mali | 62-38 | Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire | 23-09-2019 |
World Cup African Qualifiers | 2023 | Senegal vs Egypt | 75-67 | Dakar, Senegal | 25-02-2022 |
World Cup African Qualifiers | 2023 | Egypt vs Senegal | 76-43 | Alexandria, Egypt | 01-07-2022 |
Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament | 2023 | Senegal vs Mali | 74-71 (Group A) | Lagos, Nigeria | 17-08-2023 |
Key Players
Senegal
Five-time champions and 2021 semi-finalists Senegal will make a 29th appearance at the AfroBasket in the Southern African nation.
The Lions of Teranga powered through Group C of the qualifiers, finishing with a 6-0 record, and this unbeaten feat could raise the hopes of the West African nation's fans.
Laden with talent, Senegal will rely on key players like Brancou Badio, Ousmane Ndiaye, and veteran Youssoupha Ndoye to reclaim the title they last won in 1997 on home soil.
Speedy guard Badio played all six qualifying games on the road to Angola, averaging 17.7 points per game, 5.0 assists per game and 4.0 rebounds per game. The Valencia Basket player thrives driving to the basket and has a good outside shot.
Another Spain-based player, Ousmane Ndiaye, lit it up for Senegal in the three games he played in the final window of the qualifiers. The 21-year-old 2.10m (6 ft 11) averaged 15.3 points per game, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists. A 40% shooter from three-point range and a strong inside presence make him an asset for Senegal.
Ndoye is a traditional big man who can impact scoring and rebounding. His veteran leadership is also a plus for Senegal.
Mali
The Sahel nation's best finish at the AfroBasket was third place in 1972. Since then, they have lingered in the shadows. Can this year be different?
The Eagles finished the qualifiers with a 3-3 record after two wins against South Sudan and Morocco in the final qualifying window.
Players like Siriman Kanoute, Mamadou Diarra and Aliou Diarra led Mali to its 20th AfroBasket appearance, and the hope is they can help lift the team to a better spot after disappointingly finishing 15th in 2021.
Big man Aliou Diarra has established himself as a star in club competition domestically and on the continent, and his country is experiencing his quality. Diarra was a stand-out player for Mali during the AfroBasket qualifiers, posting 13.2 points per game and 10.8 rebounds.
Point guard Kanoute, who plays for French club SLUC Nancy, is a solid scorer (13 points per game) and more than capable in defence( averaging 4.0 rebounds per game and 3.0 steals per game). He is also an excellent ball distributor, averaging 6.7 assists per game.
Mamadou Diarra has a strong presence in the paint for Mali. His numbers (10.8 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game) show that he is a solid contributor to his country.
Egypt
Can Egypt end its 42-year AfroBasket trophy drought? Winners in 1983, the Pharaohs always rank among the AfroBasket favourites, but they have to walk the walk on the court.
Egypt surprisingly finished the qualifiers with a 3-3 record, but you can bet they will compete in Angola.
With star players like Ehab Amin, Patrick Gardner and Amr Gendy the North African nation can compete with the best in Africa.
Amin is a player who likes to drive in the paint and get to the free-throw line. He appeared in the last three games of the qualifying window, scoring 14.7 points per game, grabbing 3.3 rebounds per game and making 3.7 assists per game.
El Gendy is a veteran of the game and an evergreen point guard. A proven scorer (14.7 points per game) and distributor (6.3 assists per game), he ensured Egypt had a decent start in the qualifiers.
Gardner is a great find for Egypt, and he adds to the Pharaohs' attacking arsenal. A 46% shooter from three-point range during the qualifiers, Gardner, who averaged 14.3 points per game, will be a player to look out for at the tournament.
Uganda
The East African nation was a quarter-finalist in 2021, and they will hope to exceed expectations.
Their key players are Robinson Opong, Deng John Geo and Ishmail Wainright.
Opong, 36, a top scorer for the Silverbacks during the qualifiers, averaged 19.7 points per game, and the hope is that he maintains this form heading into the AfroBasket tip-off.
Geu appeared in the last games of the final window and had good production levels, averaging 17 points and seven rebounds.
Another dependable player is American-born Wainwright. The former NBA player, who averaged 13 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game during the qualifiers, possesses the skills and experience that could elevate Uganda to the next level.
What the players say
"From a Senegalese standpoint, it is unacceptable that it's been that long (1997) since we last won the trophy. So it's time we break that curse. We hope it will be in Angola this year," said Youssoupha Ndoye.
"I think basketball in Uganda has improved over the years. This is our fourth AfroBasket, so we have gained experience with each tournament. We know the teams we are playing against and we have to face them with confidence," said Robinson Opong.
"I think everyone has a chance to qualify. We cannot underestimate anyone. I know each team will be ready to compete. We want to get out of the group phase first, and we will take one game at a time," said Ibrahim Djambo.