ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - It's now down to the next window of the AfroBasket qualifiers to determine which 16 nations will advance to the quadrennial AfroBasket in Angola.
2024 was full of incredible moments during Windows 1 and 2 of the qualifiers, which took place in February and November.
This article looks back at some of the most remarkable action in Cairo, Dakar and Monastir, the three cities that hosted the first qualifying games.
TEAMS VYING FOR A PLACE AT AFROBASKET 2025
A total of 20 nations began their race for a chance to qualify for Africa's flagship tournament. They are Angola, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Gabon, Guinea, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Sudan, Tunisia and Uganda.
WHEN AND WHERE
While Window 1 of the qualifiers took place in the Egyptian capital of Cairo and the Tunisian coastal city of Monastir in February, the Senegalese capital of Dakar was the focus of Window 2 in November.
Cairo hosted the first six games of Group D, Monastir played host to the first games of Groups B (6) and E (6), while Dakar played host to 12 games from Group C and six from Group A.
GAMES PLAYED
A total of 30 matches were played between the 20 nations in the first two rounds of qualifying.
WINNERS AND LOSERS
The first two windows of the qualifiers were marked by some shocking results.
DR Congo stunned African giants South Sudan, ending the Bright Stars' unbeaten run on the continent dating back to August 2022, when they lost 69-66 to Senegal in a 2023 World Cup qualifier in Monastir.
Libya finished 2-1, a remarkable achievement for a country that last appeared at AfroBasket in 2009 when they hosted the tournament in Tripoli and Benghazi.
Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, DR Congo, Senegal and Tunisia all went 3-0 undefeated.
At the other end of the table, Central African Republic, Gabon, Guinea, Nigeria and Morocco all went three games without a win.
OPONG SETS SCORING RECORD
Ugandan shooting guard Robinson Opong scored 39 points in a 72-62 win over Nigeria to set a new qualifying scoring record.
SADI'S ONE REBOUND SHY OF A QUADRUPLE-DOUBLE
Libya guard Mohamed Sadi became the first player in the history of the qualifiers to record a triple-double in an 89-82 overtime win over Nigeria.
Sadi recorded a remarkable triple-double of 24 points, 12 assists and 10 steals, a feat never before seen in the history of the AfroBasket Qualifiers. Sadi added 9 rebounds to his tally.
SECOND TEAM TO BREAK 100 POINTS
Playing in front of a raucous home crowd, Senegal not only set a single-game rebounding record with 66 boards, but also became the second team in the history of the qualifiers to break 100 points in a 101-58 win over Gabon. They tied Uganda's 101 points against Cape Verde on 29 November 2020.
INSANE BALL MOVEMENT
Rwanda recorded one of the most assists in a game with an incredible 31 in their 90-63 win over Gabon.
The qualifying record for most assists belongs to Central African Republic, who racked up 37 in a 95-79 win over Madagascar on 28 November 2020.
At individual level, Libya's Nassein Badrush set a new record for assists with 14 dimes in a 71-59 win over Uganda.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE DUO
Central African Republic's Allan Dokossi and Morocco's Mohamed Choua each recorded two double-doubles, the only players to do so in the 2025 AfroBasket qualifiers.
HOME ADVANTAGE
Apart from Egypt, who finished 2-1 in Cairo, hosts Senegal and Tunisia are unbeaten in front of their home fans.
ATTENDANCE
Each of Senegal's games at the Dakar Arena has attracted more than 4,500 fans.
The 2025 AfroBasket Qualifiers will return for their third and final window in February.
FIBA