Group D Preview: The Egyptian city of Cairo will be the theatre of epic battles and do-or-die games as Madagascar, Cote d’Ivoire, and Central African Republic will all faceoff against with Egypt on their home soil in the first window of the FIBA 2025 AfroBasket Qualifiers. Get ready as things heat up in the Land of the Pharaohs!
Last Updated on
February 22, 2024
Jonathan Oriant
Staff Writer
Four teams, three tickets. That's what these few days in Cairo will boil down to, as the host nation Egypt, 2012 AfroBasket runners-up Cote d'Ivoire, the fierce Central African Republic and Madagascar, the rising star of African basketball, go head-to-head. What can we expect over the next few days?
Each of the four teams in the running will come with the clear intention of leaving with the best possible ranking with a view to the second window in November. Every point counts in the race for the golden tickets to next year's showcase.
The Egyptians will undoubtedly be the team with the most to prove. Firstly, they must not disappoint their fans, who are sure to turn out in force to support their team. Secondly, their new coach, German Henrik Rödl, must prove that the Egyptian Federation was right to put its trust in him.
To do so, he will be able to count on the qualities of players such as Annas Mahmoud and Ehab Amin, who are used to competing at this level.
All eyes will also be on Cote d'Ivoire, the runners-up in the last AfroBasket. Led by ACB and Euroleague star Matt Costello alongside Souleyman Diabaté and boasting a large portion of the squad that clinched second place at AfroCan 2023, the Ivorians possess all the necessary tools, both offensively and defensively, to leave a significant mark on the tournament.
The Fauves of the Central African Republic also promise to be a formidable force! With Allan Dokossi, Evans Ganapamo, and Steven Perriere leading the charge, the Central African side is poised to challenge the top contenders in the group.
The big question mark surrounds the Madagascar team, known as the Ankoay. They are the sole team in Group D that did not participate in the last AfroBasket. It's worth noting that the Malagasy team is coming off a 0-6 record in their previous qualifying campaign.
However, that's precisely their driving force: aiming to rewrite the script. They are led by the trio of Elly Randriamampionona, Livio Ratianarivo, and Alpha Solondrainy, who represent Madagascar on the global 3x3 stage and the experienced Kiady Razanamahenina. Coach Ndranto Rakotonanahary, who took charge of the team last year, will also be keen to justify the trust placed in him.
On the first day, the action starts with Cote d'Ivoire, the 2021 AfroBasket runners-up, facing Madagascar. In this matchup, every basket will carry immense significance. As the sole representative from Zone 7 in this qualifying phase, Madagascar aims to demonstrate right from the start that they can compete against the best in order to qualify for FIBA Africa's premier event.
At the same time, Egypt and the Central African Republic will have their work cut out. These two nations met at the last AfroBasket, in Kigali in 2021. The Egyptians won that match, and they'd like to keep it that way.
On the second day of the tournament, the Central African Republic will face off against Cote d'Ivoire, while Madagascar squares off against Egypt. The final day will witness a rematch between the Central African Republic and Madagascar.
This rematch harks back to the previous qualifying phase for the last AfroBasket, where the Ankoay suffered a defeat. They are undoubtedly eager to learn from past mistakes and aim for a different outcome this time. Regardless of the results, the next few days will be pivotal for each team participating in this initial qualifying window for the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket.
[Photo Credit: FIBA]
