FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Africa Qualifiers Window 4: Preview, schedule and NBA stars to watch

The time has come again for the top men’s basketball teams in Africa to hit the courts for the FIBA 2023 World Cup Qualifiers.

Window 4, which marks the beginning of the second round, runs from 22-30 August 2022 and sees the 60 remaining countries across the respective regions continue to do battle as they look for a place at next year’s world cup co-hosted by Japan, Philippines, and Indonesia.

For those remaining in the race on the African continent the stakes are running high for the qualification session.

Just five tickets to 2023’s showpiece event are available for the 12 remaining teams, meaning seven are guaranteed to miss out. Only the top two teams from each group plus one best third-placed team will advance to the world cup.

From 26-28 August the two groups, Group E and Group F, will descend on Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire and Monastir, Tunisia respectively to compete in three game-days.

Cote d’Ivoire and South Sudan are the only unbeaten teams so far, but there are plenty of challengers in wait ready to knock them both off their perches.

With the next few games crucial to determining just who will have the honour of representing their country in 2023 several nations have called on their best and brightest to bolster their chances.

Here’s a run-down of the expected schedule and the big names to look out for.

Africa Qualifiers Window 4: Storylines and NBA stars to watch

Big games mean big names and for those competing in Window 4 they certainly haven’t held back.

Riding high at the top of the group thanks to their perfect 6-0 record that they carry through with them from the previous round are South Sudan who head into Window 4 as the team to beat in Group F.

But with 2022 NBA Championship winner Jonathan Kuminga in their midst, could Congo DR be the first to halt them?

Certainly, 22-year-old Kuminga of the Golden State Warriors could be the game-changer the country needs to flip its fortune if it wants to qualify for next year’s event.

Sitting on 4-2 heading into Window 4, along with Tunisia who are also on the same record, the Leopards will want to capitalise on Kuminga’s downtime away from the NBA in order to ensure they are in the best possible shape heading into Window 5 at the start of next year.

Kuminga isn’t the only NBA player reporting for national duty.

Group E looks to boast four players from North America's top basketball league. Hosting two of them will be Nigeria.

D’Tigers have invited NBA stars Chimezie Metu (Sacramento Kings) and Josh Okogie (Phoenix Suns) into their long squad in order to help improve their stock for Window 4.

Sitting on two wins in four games, Nigeria will be wanting three wins out of three if they want to top an appearance at Tokyo 2020 with two back-to-back world cup campaigns. Up first they will face so-far unbeaten Cote d’Ivoire followed by Guinea and Angola.

While the prospect of meeting Metu and Okogie on the same team, supported by a cast of other Tokyo 2020 Olympians, might be daunting, Angola will have a weapon of their own to turn to.

Houston Rockets forward Bruno Fernando is expected to suit up for his country for the first time since the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in order to help get Angola to the world cup.

The first Angolan to compete in the NBA, 2.05m tall Fernando linked up with his team-mates at a training camp in Portugal and could threaten some real damage if he is used appropriately.

Also set to pack a punch with an NBA reinforcement is Uganda who welcome Ish Wainright of the Phoenix Suns to their roster.

The 27-year-old re-signed with the Arizona-based franchise earlier this month and will reconnect with his national team having played for Uganda during Window 3 back in June.

Wainright has a record of being prolific for the Silverbacks.

At AfroBasket 2021 the American-Ugandan small forward helped the team reach the quarterfinals. A triple double (22 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists) against South Sudan was a particular highlight for the man then searching a route to the NBA.

Having never made it to a world cup before, and currently sitting on one win out of four games played, hopeful Uganda eyes will be watching Wainright steer the Silverbacks to Indonesia-Japan-Philippines next year.

2023 World Cup Qualifiers in basketball: Africa – Groups and schedule 

After the conclusion of Window 3 in the African region, 12 teams have been divided into two groups of six: 

Group E: 

• Cote d’Ivoire 
• Cape Verde 
• Angola 
• Nigeria 
• Uganda 
• Guinea 

Group F 

• South Sudan 
• Egypt 
• Tunisia 
• Congo DR 
• Senegal 
• Cameroon 

Group E will play across three game-days, which will take place as follows: 

Friday 26 August 2022: 

• Guinea v Cape Verde 
• Angola v Uganda 
• Cote d’Ivoire v Nigeria 

Saturday 27 August 2022: 

• Cape Verde v Angola 
• Nigeria v Guinea 
• Uganda v Cote d’Ivoire 

Sunday 28 August 2022: 

• Angola v Nigeria 
• Guinea v Uganda 
• Cote d’Ivoire v Cape Verde 

Group F will play across three game-days, which will take place as follows: 

Friday 26 August 2022: 

• Congo DR v Cameroon 
• Egypt v Tunisia 
• Senegal v South Sudan 

Saturday 27 August 2022: 

• Cameroon v Egypt 
• Tunisia v Senegal 
• South Sudan v Congo DR 

Sunday 28 August 2022: 

• Senegal v Cameroon 
• Congo DR v Tunisia 
• Egypt v South Sudan

How to watch: 2023 FIBA World Cup African Qualifiers Window 4 

Some of the games will be available to watch through FIBA’s broadcast partners around the world. 

For online live video and highlights fans can subscribe to Courtside 1891. More information about how you can watch along can be found there. 

Some geographical restrictions may apply.