A number of players who featured in the recent edition of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) have made key contributions to their respective national teams that are taking part in the ongoing FIBA World Cup 2023 qualifiers. Window 4 of the qualifiers took place between August 26 through 28, as 12 African teams hunted for a place at the World Cup that will take place in Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines next year. So far, Ivory Coast is the only African nation that has qualified for the showpiece, while the other 11 teams will have to wait for Window 5 that will take place in February next year. To achieve the feat, the Ivorians beat Cape Verde 77-69 over the weekend to make it seven wins out of the seven games they have played in the qualifiers. Souleyman Diabate, a 35-year-old point guard who featured in BAL 2022 for US Monastir, was instrumental in Ivory Coast’s victory against the islanders, just as he has been in previous games. He made a good impact with his work rate and skill, putting up amazing dribbles, passing the ball. Elsewhere, Childe Dundao, another BAL player who featured for Petro de Luanda, turned out big for the Angola national team as they beat Nigeria 70-67 to rise to the top of Group E and edge closer to gaining qualification for the World Cup. Dundao went hard on the Nigeria defence with his drives and dribbles that earned him a total of 10 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal. Also, Reuben Chinyelu (played for CFV Beira in the BAL) made his debut for the national team of Nigeria (D’Tigers) and Charles Minlend (played for FAP in the BAL) was a top performer in Cameroon’s game against the DRC totaling 17 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. More than 20 players who featured in last year’s BAL played in the fourth window of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers. Group E teams played their games in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire and Group F teams are playing in Monastir, Tunisia. The second round of each group will take place in the fifth and final Window of the African Qualifiers in February 2023. The teams that finish in the first and second places of each group will qualify automatically for next year's World Cup to be staged in Indonesia, Japan, and Philippines. The best third-place team result will secure the fifth and last spot for African teams for the World Cup. Group E: Cote d’Ivoire, Cape Verde, Angola, Nigeria, Uganda, & Guinea Group F: Egypt, South Sudan, Congo DR, Senegal, Tunisia, & Cameroon. List of BAL players who featured at the FIBA World Cup qualifiers window 4: Gerson Goncalves Petro de Luanda Angola Leonel Paulo Petro de Luanda Angola Childe Dundao Petro de Luanda Angola Charles Minlend Jr FAP Cameroon Brice Eyaga Bidias FAP Cameroon Cyrille Franck Liale FAP Cameroon Joel Almeida FAP Cape Verde Narcisse Ambanza BC Espoir Fukash Congo DR Rolly Fula Nganga BC Espoir Fukash Congo DR Myck Kabongo Lukusa Cape Town Tigers Congo DR Pitchou Kambuy Lukusa REG BBC Congo DR Souleyman Diabate US Monastir Cote d'Ivoire Anas Mahmoud Zamalek Egypt Omar Hussein Hesham Zamalek Egypt Ibrahima Kalil Fofana SLAC Guinea Christopher Obekpa SLAC Nigeria Reuben Chinyelu * CFV - Beira Nigeria Cheikh Bamba Diallo DUC Senegal Babacar Sane * DUC Senegal Padiet Wang Cobra Sport South Sudan Oussama Marnaoui US Monastir Tunisia Mokhtar Ghyaza US Monastir Tunisia Firas Lahyani US Monastir Tunisia Head Coaches Željko Zečević – SLAC - Guinea Emmanuel Mavomo – BC Espoir Fukash – Congo DR.
