DAKAR (Senegal) – For three days, Dakar was the epicenter of African Basketball and many players gave their best to increase their respective countries’ chances of qualifying for AfroBasket 2025 in Angola.
After 12 matches played at the Dakar Arena in the Senegalese capital from November 22 to 24, the question that inevitably arises is: who was the best player from each nation during the Dakar qualifiers?
Williams Narace has been a source of inspiration for Cameroon
Statistics: 12,3 EFF ; 12,3 PPG ; 7,3 RPG ; 1,7 APG
STRONG WINGER Date of birth: 17 mars 1997
Size : 2,03m (6’8″)
Club : Le Mans (France, PRO-A)
Williams Narace went from 6 points and 5 rebounds in the Group C opener against Gabon to 12 points and 13 rebounds against Rwanda. But as they say, big matches are made for big players.
And Narace was fearless, forcing his way through the Senegalese defense and effectively protecting that of Cameroon. Even the noisy public didn’t manage to put obstacles in his way.
Jordan Sakho made the difference for DR Congo in Dakar
Statistics: 22,3 EFF ; 16,7 PPG ; 8,7 RPG ; 2,0 APG
PIVOT Date of birth: 4 avril 1997
Size : 2,09m (6’10”)
Club : Rio Breogan (ACB League, Spain)
No player has been more influential on both ends of the pitch than Sakho. The 27-year-old was Democratic Republic of Congo’s lynchpin for most of the three matches played in Dakar. His two huge blocks in DR Congo’s 76-69 overtime win over South Sudan earned him the nickname “Congolese Mountain.”
Statistics: 15,0 EFF ; 6,0 PPG ; 10 RPG ; 1,7 APG
WINGER Date of birth: 9 avril 1999
Size : 1,98 m (6’6″)
Club : Moamba Basket (Fog)
Siby spent more time on the pitch than any other Gabonese, reflecting his productivity throughout the three matches in Dakar. Despite his relatively small size, his 10 rebounds per game speak for themselves.
Statistics: 26,7 EFF ; 19,3 PPG ; 11,3 RPG ; 2,7 BLK
STRONG WINGER Date of birth: December 25, 1992
Size : 2,01m (6’7″)
Club : Rouen Metropole Basket (PRO-B, France)
Although Morocco finished 0-3 in Dakar, the tireless Choua was impressive against opponents bigger and better than him. He gave everything for Morocco.
William Robeyns gave his all during the three days of competition in Dakar.
Statistics: 14,3 EFF ; 14,0 PPG ; 4,0 RPG ; 3,0 AST
WINGER Date of birth: February 23, 1996
Size : 1,95 m (6’5″)
Club : APR – (Rwandan National Championship; Basketball Africa League)
A 5-of-11 performance from distance and 19 points against a defensive-minded Cameroonian team was the clearest example of Robeyn’s scoring prowess. Over the three games in Dakar, Robeyn made nearly half (12-27) of Rwanda’s three-pointers (25-109).
Statistics: 16,3 EFF ; 22,3 PPG ; 4,7 RPG ; 4,0 AST
PLAYLEAD Date of birth: February 17, 1999
Size : 1,88 m (6’2″)
Club : Valencia Basket (ACB Spanish) ; EuroCup
Is there a Senegalese player who had more impact than Brancou Badio in the second window of the AfroBasket 2025 qualifiers? Probably not, because the numbers show how much he improved his team’s play when he was on the field.
His 31-point performance against Cameroon illustrated Badio’s value to DeSagana Diop’s team. With Badio on the pitch, Senegal was in good hands.
After leading the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 in blocked shots, Wenyen Gabriel played his official matches on African soil in Dakar.
Statistics: 18,5 EFF ; 14,0 PPG ; 10,5 RPG ; 2,5 BLK
STRONG WINGER Date of birth: 26 mars 1997
Size : 2.08m (6’10”)
Club : Maccabi Tel Aviv (Premier Basketball League, Israel) ; Euroleague
After being absent in South Sudan’s first qualifying match against Morocco, the former NBA player played his part in the Bright Stars’ victorious campaign (2-1). Gabriel achieved a double-double (20 points and 14 points) during the overtime defeat against DR Congo (76-69).
*Top player picks are entirely subjective and in no way constitute a true official FIBA award. This was designed by the editorial team for the entertainment of fans.
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