Basketball is a sport played by two teams containing five players each, making it sum up to a total of 10 players. An anomaly to this rule is when a team member is disqualified or injured, thereby leaving a team with less than five players.
It's a physical sport and injuries can occur. It's not scripted like the WWE but the plays are managed by the team's coaches.
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Players move the ball by dribbling, bouncing or passing it while running or walking. Each team tries to gain points by throwing the ball through the opposition's team goal, a horizontally placed hoop and net called a basket elevated 10 feet above the ground and located towards the backboard at both ends of the court.
In this sport, a team has to earn more points than its opposing team to win.
Basketball originated in the U.S. in 1891 by James Naismith, a Springfield graduate student and College instructor. Basketball is now played and enjoyed all over the world.
Let's continue and look at the top 10 basketball teams in Africa.
This rating is done based on their roster announcement, injuries, performances, absences and preparation games recorded by FIBA World Ranking (Africa) presented by Nike.
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DR CONGO
Controlled by the Basketball Federation of the Democratic Republic of Congo is dedicated to the growth and advancement of Congolese Basketball.
The team has played in the FIBA Africa Championship however they are yet to emerge in the FIBA World Championship.
Qualifiers Record : 3–3 in Group A. FIBA World Ranking (Africa) presented by Nike: 11th.
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THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
The team is the first Sub-Saharan African team to qualify for the Basketball World Cup and has also won the African Basketball Championship twice. Their first title came when they beat Senegal 72–67 in 1974 in a tournament hosted by them.
Qualifiers Record : 3–3 in Group A FIBA World Ranking (Africa) presented by Nike: 10th.
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MALI
Two years ago, they came up second at FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup. Their best was at the FIBA Africa Championship in 1972, where they finished with a bronze medal.
Mali young guns look forward to making it to AfroBasket 2021. Qualifiers Record: 2–4 in Group D FIBA World Ranking (Africa) presented by Nike: 9th
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CAMEROON
Cameroon has become a great contender and force for the title of the African Basketball Championship.
Qualifiers Record: 4–2 in Group C FIBA World Ranking (Africa) presented by Nike: 7th
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EGYPT
Egypt's strongest asset going to the AfroBasket Festival is the team's unity. The team has progressed tremendously in recent times. Since rejoining the team, seven-footer Omar Oraby has not looked so competitive in years.
Qualifiers Record: 5–0 in Group E
FIBA World Ranking (Africa) presented by Nike: 6th.
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COTE D'IVOIRE
A few days before leaving for Kigali, Cote D'Ivoire lost to Tunisia 62–47 in a warm-up game. But it is no surprise that this team will rise to the occasion when it is necessary, as was seen when they closed their Qualifiers Campaign at 6–0, including when they had two wins against a stubborn Cameroon team in Cameroon.
Qualifiers Record: 6–0 in Group C
FIBA World Ranking (Africa) presented by Nike: 5th.
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SENEGAL
The Senegal basketball team includes several players who have competed in the U.S. National Basketball Association. Division 1 tournament f the 2022/ 2023 season, which takes place in Senegal, is available for live stream on 777score.com.
Qualifiers Record: 5–1 in Group B
FIBA World Ranking (Africa) presented by Nike: 4th.
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ANGOLA
Despite the fact that this team lacks size and is far from being the most skilled, they have lots of AfroBasket experience to spare.
At this year's African championship, Mingas and Carlos Morais happened to be the only two players to have won four AfroBasket titles (2005, 2007, 2009 and 2013). The team held a 2-month training camp in Portugal where they participated in several friendly games.
Qualifiers Record: 4–2 in Group B FIBA World Ranking (Africa) presented by Nike: 3rd.
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TUNISIA
The team beat Cote D'Ivoire in their most recent warm-up game before leaving for Kigali, after which they spelt out a message: "Do not ever underestimate the heart of a Champion".
After almost 30 years, Tunisia in 2011 became the African Basketball Champion, making it the first North African Country to accomplish this. Qualifiers Record: 6–0 in Group A FIBA World Ranking (Africa) presented by Nike: 2nd.
NIGERIA
Nigeria arrived at Tokyo 2020 with eight (8) NBA Players, and none of them was available for Kigali. Without a doubt, the country has successfully become one of the favorites to excel in competitions.
Qualifiers Record: 6–0 in Group D FIBA World Ranking (Africa) presented by Nike: 3rd.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)
Who is the best male basketball team in Africa?
D'Tigers is the best male basketball team in Africa.
Where is basketball popular in Africa?
Basketball is popular in many countries in Africa. Here they are Nigeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Angola, Cape Verde, and South Sudan.
What teams are in the Basketball Africa League?
These teams are Petro de Luanda, ABC Fighters, AS Douanes, City Oilers, Zamalek SC Basketball, REG BBC
Is there an African basketball League?
Yes, there is. The league for African Basketball League kicked off on Saturday, May 20, 2023.
Which African country has produced the most NBA players?
Nigeria
Who is the best black basketball player in the world?
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Who is the best men's basketball player NBA?
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets (best NBA player)
Who is the best female basketball team in Africa?
Senegal. They have won the trophy 11 times since 1974.
