The road to the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup officially begins today in Rades, Tunisia, with D’Tigers of Nigeria opening their campaign against the hosts.
This marks the beginning of window 1 of the qualifiers where eight African nations will battle for early supremacy in the qualifying series.
The final rosters for Window 1 were confirmed on Wednesday evening after a FIBA technical meeting, signalling full readiness for four days of top-level basketball action.
From Thursday, November 27 to Sunday, November 30, teams placed in Groups A and C will contest 12 games at the Rades arena, located on the outskirts of Tunis, the capital city of Tunisia.
This opening window marks the first step in a long qualification journey that will determine the five African representatives at the 2027 World Cup.
Group A features Cameroon, Cape Verde, Libya, and South Sudan, all of whom will be looking to make strong starts as they aim to position themselves favourably for the subsequent windows.
South Sudan, one of the continent’s rising powers, will look to build on their recent international progress, while Cape Verde and Cameroon are expected to bring competitive rosters packed with experienced talent.
In Group C, hosts Tunisia headline a competitive pool that also includes Guinea, Nigeria, and Rwanda.
Tunisia will rely on home support to secure early victories, while Nigeria’s inclusion adds significant intrigue as the former African champions seek to reassert their dominance on the continental stage.
Rwanda and Guinea, both known for their physicality and improving basketball structures, will also fancy their chances of causing upsets.
Teams drawn in Groups B and D will begin their qualifying campaigns in Window 2, scheduled for February 2026, meaning the pressure is fully on Groups A and C to set the tone in this first phase.
With rosters finalised and anticipation building, African basketball fans can look forward to a thrilling opening window as the race to the 2027 World Cup officially gets underway.
