DAKAR, DOUALA, LUANDA (Senegal, Cameroon, Angola) - Now that all sixteen teams have played three games, the next twenty-four will determine which teams will remain in contention for the five spots available to African countries in the 2027 Qatar World Cup, and which will see their aspirations come to an end.
A look into the history books shows that an early winning streak in the qualifying campaign could hint at a bright future. However, a number of teams have overcome a poor start to qualify for the World Cup.
Here's everything you need to know about the third round of the 2027 World Cup African qualifiers.
Host countries
For the first time since the new qualification competition system was implemented in 2017, three countries will host games during the same period.
Tunisia hosted the opening games of Groups A and D in November 2025, and Senegal and Egypt hosted the opening games of Groups B and D last February, respectively.
This time, the games will take place in Dakar, Senegal (Group B); Douala, Cameroon (Group A); and Luanda, Angola (Groups C and D).
When is the third window of the African Qualifiers?
From Thursday, July 2, to Sunday, July 5, all eyes will be on Dakar, Douala, and Luanda, where the sixteen teams will compete.
Who are the contenders?
The sixteen teams have been divided into four groups of four.
Group A consists of Cameroon, Cape Verde, Libya, and South Sudan. Group B consists of Côte d'Ivoire, the DR Congo, Madagascar, and Senegal. Group C consists of Guinea, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Tunisia. Group D comprises: Angola, Egypt, Mali, and Uganda.
What teams need to do to remain contention?
Heading into the third round of the African qualifiers, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, and Mali are the only undefeated teams.
CLICK HERE to find out what teams need to do to remain in contention.
How to watch the games?
The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Qualifiers will be available through FIBA’s broadcast partners – both local and regional – across the globe.
CLICK HERE to find out more.
Do these 12 games determine who qualifies for the 2027 World Cup?
The first tickets for the 2027 Qatar World Cup may not be awarded until at least the fourth window of the 2027 World Cup African qualifiers in August.
The top three teams in Groups A, B, C and D will advance to the second round of the tournament, where the final 12 teams will compete for the five World Cup tickets.
Meanwhile, the teams that finish bottom of their respective groups will be eliminated.
What does history say about these teams?
Before the introduction of the new competition system, African teams qualified for the World Cup by finishing in the top three at the AfroBasket tournament.
However, since FIBA implemented a new system in 2017, the process has changed.
Here's an overview of how the sixteen teams competing in Dakar, Douala and Luanda performed in the last editions of the World Cup African Qualifiers.
TEAM (current record) | 2019 WORLD CUP AFRICAN QUALIFIERS WIN-LOSS | 2023 WORLD CUP AFRICAN QUALIFIERS WIN-LOSS | OVERALL RECORD IN THE WORLD CUP AFRICAN QUALIFIERS (as of 1 July 2027) | 2019 WORLD CUP - CHINA | 2023 WORLD CUP - INDONESIA, JAPAN, PHILIPPINES |
Angola (2-1) | 9-3 | 10-2 | 21-6 | Qualified | Qualified |
Côte d'Ivoire (3-0) | 7-5 | 10-2 | 20-7 | Qualified | Qualified |
DR Congo (1-2) | 2-4 | 5-7 | 8-13 | Failed to qualify | Failed to qualify |
Egypt (1-2) | 6-6 | 8-4 | 15-12 | Failed to qualify | Qualified |
Madagascar (0-3) | * | * | 0-3 | * | * |
Mali (3-0) | 3-9 | ** | 6-9 | Failed to qualify | Failed to qualify |
Senegal (2-1) | 10-2 | 7-5 | 19-8 | Qualified | Failed to qualify |
Uganda (0-3) | 1-5 | 1-9 | 2-17 | Failed to qualify | Failed to qualify |
South Sudan (2-1) | * | 11-1 | 13-2 | * | Qualified |
Cameroon (2-1) | 7-5 | 4-8 | 13-14 | Failed to qualify | Failed to qualify |
Cape Verde (2-1) |
| 6-4 | 8-5 |
| Qualified |
Libya (0-3) | * | * | 0-3 | * | * |
Nigeria (1-2) | 9-3 | 5-5 | 15-10 | Qualified | Failed to qualify |
Tunisia (2-1) | 10-2 | 6-6 | 18-9 | Qualified | Failed to qualify |
Guinea (3-0) | 0-6 | 3-9 | 6-15 | Failed to qualify | Failed to qualify |
Rwanda (0-3) | 3-9 | 1-5 | 4-17 | Failed to qualify | Failed to qualify |
*- Country didn't participate in the World Cup African Qualifiers **-Disqualified.
Leading the stats charts
Player | Country | Stats per game | Games played |
|---|---|---|---|
Siriman Kanoute | Mali | 24 ppg | 3 |
Shannon Evans | Guinea | 22.7 ppg | 3 |
Childe Dundao | Angola | 22.7 ppg | 3 |
Brancou Badio | Senegal | 20.5 ppg | 3 |
Souleyman Boum Jr. | Guinea | 20.3 ppg | 3 |
Oumar Ballo | Mali | 20 ppg | 3 |
David McCormack | Rwanda | 15.5 rpg | 2 |
Ousmane Drame | Guinea | 10 rpg | 3 |
Jordan Sacko | DR Congo | 10 rpg | 3 |
Oumar Ballo | Mali | 9.7 rpg | 3 |
Kur Kuath | South Sudan | 9.3 rpg | 3 |
Siriman Kanoute | Mali | 11.3 apg | 3 |
Mouhamed Sadi | Libya | 8 apg | 3 |
Childe Dundao | Angola | 8 apg | 3 |
Assemian Moulare | Côte d'Ivoire | 7 apg | 3 |
Nike Sibande | Uganda | 6.7 apg | 3 |
FIBA