ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - The race for the five spots for African teams in the 2027 Qatar World Cup saw some of the most intriguing battles in the third window of qualifiers played in Dakar, Douala and Luanda.
Not a single team ranked in the top four of the FIBA World Rankings (Africa), sponsored by Nike, escaped defeat, demonstrating the competitiveness of this qualifying campaign.
Not even the reigning African champions, who have an almost perfect home record, were spared.
See below for the biggest upsets in the third round of the 2027 World Cup African qualifiers.
# | WINNING TEAM (World/Africa) | LOSING TEAM (World/Africa) | RESULT | RANKING DIFFERENTIAL |
1. | Nigeria (53rd/8th) | Tunisia (52nd/7th) | -1 | |
2. | Mali (64th/10th) | Egypt (43rd/4th) | -21 | |
3. | Cameroon (59th/9th) | Cape Verde (50th/6th) | -9 | |
4. | Senegal (48th/5th) | Côte d'Ivoire (38th/3rd) | -10 | |
5. | Egypt (43rd/4th) | Angola (32nd/2nd) | -11 | |
6. | Cameroon (59th/9th) | South Sudan (25th/1st) | -34 |
Nigeria (53rd) vs. Tunisia (52nd) - 84-81
The start of Nigeria's three-game winning streak - The D'Tigers of Nigeria knew that losing to Tunisia for the second time in the current campaign would put them in serious trouble in Group C. They relied on their aggressive, physical, and disciplined defense to stop an impressive Tunisian team that seems to be back to their old, successful ways. Although Tunisia spent more time in the lead, Nigeria saved their best for last, outscoring the three-time African champions 16-10 in the final five minutes to secure the victory. This win was crucial for Nigeria as they began the third window of the qualifiers.
Mali (64th) vs. Egypt (43rd) - 78-70
Egypt were no match for Mali again - To show that their 86-77 victory over Egypt in February wasn't a fluke, Mali won again, this time in Luanda, Angola. As in their first meeting in the current campaign, both teams battled it out, but Mali maintained the lead for much of the game. Debutant Hassan Diarra, a two-time NCAA champion with UConn, turned out to be Mali's hero, finishing with 15 points off the bench thanks to his 4-for-9 shooting, which included 3-for-3 from deep.
Cameroon (59th) vs. Cape Verde (50th) - 82-72
Cameroon beat Cape Verde for the first time - For the Cape Verdean islanders, this matchup was all about beating Cameroon for the second time in a row. However, the Indomitable Lions, playing on home soil for the first time in nearly a decade, weren't prepared to waste their exceptional campaign. They won by 10 points. It was their third consecutive win in the current campaign. Cape Verde took an early, short-lived lead before Cameroon went on a scoring spree. Cameroon led by as many as 19 points before settling for the 10-point win. Jordan Bayehe and Jeremiah Hill combined for 28 points to secure the win.
Senegal (48th) vs. Côte d'Ivoire (38th) - 85-72
Unstoppable Badio - Four months earlier, Côte d'Ivoire took advantage of Brancou Badio's absence to defeat the host team, Senegal. However, with Badio back in the lineup, Côte d'Ivoire struggled to contain him. He led the way with 23 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. Senegal entered the Marius N'Diaye Gymnasium with a sense of purpose and led from the beginning, never allowing Côte d'Ivoire to catch up. Senegal prevailed 85-72.
Egypt (43rd) vs. Angola (32nd) - 79-73
Pharaohs stun reining champions - This was a must-win game for Egypt, which had lost to Angola in their first matchup in February. Although the Egyptians trailed for most of the game, they took the lead midway through the fourth quarter and held off Angola's attempts to retake it. This 79-73 win was remarkable for Egypt, as they had not defeated Angola in their last ten encounters. Ehab Amin, who had an abysmal performance against Angola in the first round in February, finishing with just two points after being ejected for a second unsportsmanlike foul, turned out to be Egypt's hero with a team-high 22 points.
Cameroon (59th) vs. South Sudan (25th) - 78-74
Cameroon win fifth in a row - After winning four games in a row in the current campaign, Cameroon faced a formidable opponent on a winning streak. Defeating South Sudan for the second time in a row was their biggest challenge yet, but Cameroon lived up to expectations, stunning the highest-ranked team on the continent. Cameroon defeated the Bright Stars of South Sudan by four points for the second time in this campaign, never trailing in the game. Jeremiah Hill led the hosts with 22 points.
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