ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - With so much on the line, a quintet of individuals put in stellar performances to send their teams to this year's AfroBasket.
It was a day like no other, with lowly Madagascar upsetting powerhouse Egypt and Mali challenging South Sudan's status as Africa's number one team.
Here's how the day unfolded in Antananarivo, Tripoli and Rabat.
SIRIMAN KANOUTE
The two-time U18 AfroBasket MVP caused South Sudan all sorts of problems at both ends of the floor as Mali beat South Sudan 75-72.
He may have turned the ball over five times, but he was unstoppable for most of the 33:33 minutes he ran Mali's offence, knocking down threes, dishing out assists and even acting as a coach on the floor when things seemed to be going South Sudan's way.
Kanoute's 15 points and 10 assists were his best performance in the 2025 AfroBasket qualifiers. South Sudan constantly switched defences and tried to trap him on several occasions, but Kanoute was on a mission and attacked the rim with authority.
And he's only 23.
MATHIAS M'MADI
Remember M'Madi's stellar performance at the 2023 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, where he led all players in scoring with 24.1 points per game?
Well, in his first campaign with the Madagascar senior team, he continues to live up to expectations, and continental powerhouse Egypt got a taste of M'Madi's scoring prowess on Saturday as the 19-year-old drained a collection of jaw-dropping shots to help his country qualify for AfroBasket 2025.
In addition to his 18 points, M'Madi also created opportunities for others and finished with 6 assists as Madagascar upset Egypt 82-80.
CALEB AGADA
Nigeria rose from the ashes in the qualifiers and much of their success can be attributed to the return of Tokyo Olympian Caleb Agada.
The 30-year-old was on the floor for most of the 26 minutes, disrupting the Ugandan defence in such a way that the Silverbacks couldn't stop him from playing his fast-paced game and finishing with 20 points.
Agada was also the main shooting creator for Nigeria, dishing out 7 assists to help D'Tigers beat Uganda 87-67.
MOHAMED SADI
The heart and soul of this Libyan team, Mohamed Sadi, was a constant headache for Cape Verde, and cheered on by his compatriots at the Grand Hill in Tripoli, he led his country to a memorable 82-80 victory.
Sadi's scintillating performance propelled Libya into the AfroBasket for the first time since they hosted the tournament in 2009.
SITRAKA RAHARIMANANTOANINA
Sitraka Raharimanantoanina, 24, showed no signs of being intimidated by his more experienced Egyptian opponents.
After averaging 23 minutes in the first four games of the qualifiers, coach Alphonse Marie Jeannot Ravonimbola put the 2.07m centre on the floor for 34 minutes and he proved to be the wall that the Egyptians struggled to overcome.
Raharimanantoanina's 7 blocks against Egypt are now the most by any player in the history of the AfroBasket Qualifiers.
FIBA