Preview: Who can qualify from Group F of the African Qualifiers?
There couldn't have been a more appetising clash than the South Sudan v Senegal on the opening day of the last and decisive games of Group F of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 African Qualifiers.
ALEXANDRIA (Egypt) - There couldn't have been a more appetising clash than the South Sudan v Senegal on the opening day of the last and decisive games of Group F of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 African Qualifiers in Alexandria, Egypt.
A few hours later, there will be another African basketball classic when hosts Egypt go up against reigning African champions Tunisia.
But for three days, basketball fans will have plenty or reasons to tune in to Alexandria where some of Africa's finest talents will battle for two or three tickets available for African countries for the 2023 World Cup.
The teams that finish in the top two places of Groups E and F of the African Qualifiers qualify automatically to the World Cup while the best third-placed team complete the African contingent for this year's World Cup in Indonesia, Japan and Philippines.
Group F
9/18 games played
All First Round results carry over to Second Round
| GAMES | GAME POINTS | POINTS | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | P | W | L | % | For | Agt | +/- | FA | AA | |
| 1 |
|
9 | 8 | 1 | 88.9 | 681 | 560 | 121 | 75.7 | 62.2 | 17 |
| 2 |
|
9 | 7 | 2 | 77.8 | 670 | 531 | 139 | 74.4 | 59 | 16 |
| 3 |
|
9 | 6 | 3 | 66.7 | 653 | 576 | 77 | 72.6 | 64 | 15 |
| 4 |
|
9 | 5 | 4 | 55.6 | 567 | 554 | 13 | 61.6 | 61.6 | 14 |
| 5 |
|
9 | 4 | 5 | 44.4 | 495 | 544 | -49 | 60.4 | 60.4 | 13 |
| 6 |
|
9 | 2 | 7 | 22.2 | 554 | 610 | -56 | 67.8 | 67.8 | 11 |
Upcoming Games - February 24, Game Day 10 (Alexandria, Egypt)
12:00 GMT+2 - Cameroon v Congo DR (First meeting: 71-69)
14:30 GMT +2 - South Sudan v Senegal (First meeting: 66-69)
17:00 GMT +2 Tunisia v Egypt (First meeting: 61-67)
For three straight games, from February 24 to 26, teams from Group F will do battle for the right to join Cote d'Ivoire - the only African team qualified to the World Cup so far -, and while hosts Egypt appear among the frontrunners to capture the much sought-after tickets, Group F has been described as the group of death, where anything is possible.
Egypt, Tunisia and Senegal - a trio of legitimate contenders for Group F's two or three tickets for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup - have won the African Championship title before, but the team taking the lead in the group is no less than debutant South Sudan.
How debutant South Sudan took Group F's lead against former African champions? It is a question that has raised eyebrows, and in the run-up to the final games of the African Qualifiers, scrutiny over the youngest African country intensifies.
Can South Sudan overcome Senegal to qualify with two games left?
If South Sudan beat Senegal on Friday, February 24, the youngest African country qualify automatically for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup no matter the remaining two games.
But beating Senegal has proven challenging for South Sudan.
In their last two meetings, Senegal dispatched South Sudan 104-74 at 2021 AfroBasket, before doing it again 69-66 last August in Monastir, Tunisia, and become the only team to defeat South Sudan in the African Qualifiers.
What are differences between Senegal and South Sudan?
When South Sudan entered their first major continental competition back in 2020, Senegal had already collected five African titles and played at World Cup five times.
Both teams are coached by two former NBA players in Luol Deng (South Sudan) and DeSagana Diop (Senegal). Interestingly enough, since he took the helm of the Senegalese last August Diop is 3-0. Deng - who has been alternating his South Sudan head coaching job with Brooklyn Nets assistant coach Royal Ivey - is 6-0 in the African Qualifiers.
After facing ups and downs early in the African Qualifiers, Senegal are on a three-game winning streak and need to win as many as possible to qualify for the World Cup for the third straight time.
Trying to interrupt Tunisia's second straight World Cup appearance are Egypt, who aim to qualify for the 32-nation World Cup for the first time since 2014.
Egypt can return to the World Cup if they beat Tunisia and South Sudan beat Senegal. Tunisia are in a tougher position to qualify.
In the last day of Group F's action there will be another appetising Egypt vs South Sudan. When the two sides last met in August, South Sudan outclassed Egypt 85-65. But playing in front of their home fans, Egypt will certainly have a word to say.
Stars to watch
Assem Marei (Egypt), Brancou Badio (Senegal), Omar Abada (Tunisia), Nuni Omot (South Sudan)
Group F's last actions won't be short of talented players.
From guards, swingman to bigs, there will be an endless list of players to watch out for in the Alexandria showpiece.
South Sudan's Omot, who is coached by Senegal head coach DeSagana Diop at Westchester Knicks in the G League, has been pivotal for his country averaging a team-high of 14 points and 2 assists in nine African Qualifiers games.
Ever since Assem Marei debuted in the African Qualifiers in Window 4, he went on to ignite the Pharaohs with his 13.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, prompting Egypt head coach Roy Rana to call him one of the best low-post players in Africa.
Running Senegal's offense is point guard Brancou Badio who averages 11.3 points and a tournament-high of 6.5 assists per game.
Another guard to watch out for is Tunisia's Omar Abada who is prolific in scoring, and creating shooting opportunities for others.
Top prospects
Mareng Gatkuoth (South Sudan), and Senegal duo of Khalifa Diop and Babacar Sane
Gatkuoth hasn't missed a single African qualifiers game, and has been a valuable sixth-man for South Sudan, contributing 7.4 points. Whenever South Sudan need to score from behind the arch, the Tarleton State University guard is the man to-go to.
Both Diop and Sane can produce valuable minutes off the bench.
FIBA