MIES (Switzerland) - It is now time to meet the six teams in this FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 Latvia with the dream of becoming Olympic champions this summer.
Here is the number 68 team in the FIBA World Ranking Men, presented by Nike, the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament 2023 Nigeria winners Cameroon. The Africans will be playing in their second OQT and hope to reach the Olympics for the first time.
How they qualified
Cameroon missed out on the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 - the central Africans still waiting to make their debut in FIBA's flagship event. But by reaching the Second Round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 African Qualifiers, Cameroon received a spot in the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament 2023 Nigeria.
Cameroon started the campaign with a dominant 104-74 victory over Guinea. The FIBA AfroBasket 2021 champions Tunisia were no match for the Indomitable Lions, who won 83-70 to take top honors in Group B.
Waiting in the Semi-Finals were Mali but Cameroon took control of the game in the first quarter and rolled to an 87-70 win, setting up a date with Senegal in the Final. Cameroon opened a 52-36 third quarter lead but watched as Senegal trimmed the gap to 73-72 with 100 seconds to play. Samir Gbetkom and Paul Eboua both scored and Cameroon took the title 80-74 and will now return to ther OQT for the first time since 2008.
Record at the Olympics
Appearances: 0 Medals: 0
Recent OQT history*
* Since 2008
Cameroon will be participating in their second OQT following the qualfiying event in Athens in 2008. The Africans started the Group D play with a 93-79 loss to Croatia, scoring only nine points in the fourth quarter.
Cameroon a day later tried to come back from a slow start against Puerto Rico, picking up just seven points in the first quarter. But the Indomitable Lions ended up losing 81-72 to be eliminated.
Last Olympics appearance
Cameroon went winless at the FIBA AfroBasket 2021 and then collected four wins in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 African Qualifiers, including victories over South Sudan and Egypt. The Indomitable Lions will have even more confidence after going through the OPQT - especially after defeating a Senegal side against whom they lost twice in World Cup qualification, by 19 and 27 points.
Cameroon have become regulars at FIBA AfroBasket, making the last seven continental championships. But they have yet to breakthrough on the global stage - neither FIBA World Cup nor Olympics. Reaching the Paris 2024 Games would be a huge milestone for the Indomitable Lions.
The OQT Group Phase
Cameroon will be heading to northern Europe with the sole goal of booking a ticket to Paris. They will start off their Group B campaign against European side Montenegro. That will be followed a day later with a showdown with South American powers Brazil with the hope of moving onto the Semi-Finals.
The two top teams from both groups advance onto the Semi-Finals with Group A made up of Georgia, hosts Latvia and Phillipines. The two Semi-Finals winners will square off in the Final for a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Cameroon OQT games
vs Montenegro (July 3) vs Brazil (July 4)
Players to watch
Jeremiah Hill has only been playing for Cameroon since the final window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 African Qualifiers, but the guard is already the Lions' leader. In the OPQT, the 28-year-old poured in 18.3 points while shooting 44.1 percent on three-pointers and also dishing out 9.3 assists, grabbing 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals.
Jordan Bayehe provides a major force in the paint for Cameroon, collecting 13.8 points and 8.0 rebounds in the OPQT while also shooting 35.7 percent from long range. Fabien Ateba meanwhile is an excellent outside shooter; Samir Gbetkom can help with point guard duties and Paul Eboua is a legit inside player who can score.
Cameroon's team could be much more formidable if they have all their talent. The NBA star Pascal Siakam has been included in the team's preliminary extended roster but has yet to play for his country. Neither has Baylor University's center Yves Missi, who has also declared for the 2024 NBA Draft.
The 18-year-old Ulrich Kamka Chomche, who also has his name in the 2024 NBA Draft, has played for Cameroon, impressing with 1.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in just 8 minutes per game at the OPQTs. Chomche also appeared in two games in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 African Qualifiers.
Qualified Team Focus series
We've checked out all teams ready to step out as part of our Qualified Team Focus series. You can take a look at Cameroon, Brazil, Montenegro, Latvia, the Philippines, and Georgia.
FIBA