DOUALA (Cameroon) - As we look ahead to the 2027 FIBA AfroCan Qualifiers, everyone is asking which of the first three teams to take the floor will secure the first ticket to the quadrennial AfroCan tournament.
From Saturday 10 October to Monday 12 October, Cameroon, Gabon and the Republic of the Congo will compete in Douala, Cameroon, in a FIBA Africa Zone 4 decider for the opportunity to participate in the 2027 event in Rwanda.
A closer look at the three contenders reveals intriguing similarities and significant differences, making this three-team contest one to watch.
In the first game of the tournament, hosts Cameroon will take on Gabon.
Both teams made their FIBA AfroCan debut four years ago in Luanda, Angola. Gabon won two of their three games to finish ninth, while Cameroon returned home winless after three games, finishing eleventh out of twelve teams.
Saturday's clash will mark the second time that these two teams have faced each other in the FIBA AfroCan Qualifiers.
The last time the two teams met in the AfroCan Qualifiers was in February 2023 in Yaounde, where Cameroon won 80-71.
They have played each other six times before in the AfroBasket and AfroBasket Qualifiers, with Cameroon winning every time, dating back to the 2009 FIBA AfroBasket Qualifiers.
However, the FIBA AfroCan is a different event, and predictions could easily be proven wrong, given the similarities and potential of both countries' locally based players.
Could Cameroon take advantage of playing on home soil? Only time will tell.
It's a special occasion for Congo
Regardless of the outcome of these zonal qualifiers, it will certainly be a special occasion for the Republic of Congo.
It will be their first appearance in a regional or continental tournament since the 2013 FIBA AfroBasket, where they finished 14th out of 16 teams.
In the 2013 Abidjan showpiece, the Republic of Congo claimed a win (vs Mali) in three games.
The Congolese will make their AfroCan Qualifiers debut on Sunday, October 11, against Gabon.
Watch the game Cameroon vs. Gabon - 10 October 2026 - AfroCan Qualifiers
Watch the game Gabon vs. Rep. Congo - 11 October 2026 - AfroCan Qualifiers
Watch the game Cameroon vs. Rep. Congo - 12 October 2026 - AfroCan Qualifiers
FIBA