Preview of groups A and C: Who will secure the 6 tickets to Angola in the Rabat qualifier?

RABAT (Morocco) - Heading into the third window of the 2025 AfroBasket qualifiers (21-23 February), all eight teams in Groups A and C have a chance of finishing in the top three in their respective groups to qualify for the final round.

However, some have a better chance than others, making these series a do-or-die affair for some.

These qualifiers are of great importance as they will determine the next two years for their national teams, bearing in mind that the 16 national teams that will qualify for AfroBasket 2025 will be the same teams that will compete in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers.

What's at stake in Groups A and C?

The teams that finish in the top three in their respective groups will qualify for the showdown in Angola in August.

But for hosts Morocco and Gabon, who have both reached this stage of the competition without a win after three games, the next three games in Rabat will be an uphill task.

One thing is certain: neither Gabor nor Morocco will qualify on 21 February. They may even want to wait until the final day on 23 February to find out, but the more games these two teams win, the better their chances of a revival.

Meanwhile, the teams at the top of Groups A and C will be playing for pride and making sure their impressive first-round performances don't go to waste.

DR Congo and Senegal are top of Group A and C respectively thanks to their 3-0 records in November, and maintaining that status will be their top priority.

But what about the two mid-table teams - Mali and Rwanda - who sit in third place with 1-2 records?

Both teams picked up their only wins on the final day of the first round, but that's not something they can afford to do if they want to progress to the final round. Every game counts.

Must-watch games in Groups A and C

Two must-see matches are Cameroon v Senegal and DR Congo v South Sudan.

These are the top teams in each group and, judging by their performances in the first round in Dakar in November, the losing teams (Cameroon and South Sudan) won't want to repeat their mistakes and will be looking for revenge in these two games.

Other must-see matches in Groups A and C are Morocco v Mali, Morocco v DR Congo and Gabon v Rwanda, which could decide the final spot in Group C for the final round.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Brancou Badio - One of the tournament's leading scorers with 22.3 points per game, Badio is emerging as Senegal's go-to man.

Badio's status was underlined when Cameroon had Senegal on the ropes in the final quarter of their last match in November.

Badio came to their rescue, scoring a game-high 31 points as they won 87-83. Karim Mane, the other Senegalese to reach double figures, finished with 12 points.

Jo Lual Acuil - The 2024 Basketball Africa League Most Valuable Player hasn't played for South Sudan since 28 August 2022 when his country beat Egypt 85-65 in Monastir during the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers. Big signings for Bright Stars.

Maxi Munanga Shamba - The 2019 FIBA AfroCan Most Valuable Player will make his first appearance for the Leopards at the 2021 FIBA AfroBasket.

Souleymane Berthe - One of the revelations of the 2023 Basketball Africa League, Berthe will make his first appearance for Mali's senior team.

Jeremiah Hill - The American-Cameroonian has been a breath of fresh air for Cameroon, leading his adopted country in scoring and assists in every major competition they have participated in.

Chris Silva - The former Miami Heat player is set to make his debut with the Gabonese national team.

GROUP A WORLD RANKING

GROUP C WORLD RANKING

FIBA