In the most recent FIBA World Rankings released on Thursday, Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, has dropped four places to 42nd globally and 6th in Africa. This decline follows their failure to qualify for the Olympics Qualifying Tournament and the Paris 2024 Games, resulting in a total of 299.7 points and a fall in the rankings.
South Sudan made a notable ascent, rising from 34th to 23rd position, and now holds the top spot in Africa with 481 points after securing their first Olympic win. This leap has positioned South Sudan as the highest-ranked African team, surpassing Cote d’Ivoire, which has moved up to 31st globally and 2nd in Africa with 392.3 points.
Among other African nations in the top 50, Angola has advanced three places to 32nd worldwide, and remains 3rd in Africa. Tunisia has dropped two spots to 37th globally, now 4th in Africa, while Egypt has climbed two positions to 38th in the world, 5th in Africa. Cape Verde has moved up one spot to 45th, ranking 7th in Africa, and Senegal stands at 47th globally and 8th in Africa.
Cameroon has seen a significant rise, moving up five places to 64th after strong performances in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, ranking 9th in Africa. Guinea also improved, climbing three spots to 73rd globally, making them the 10th best team in Africa.
The United States maintains their top position in the FIBA World Rankings following their gold medal victory at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Serbia has climbed two places to 2nd, surpassing Germany, while France has risen five spots to 4th after reaching the Gold Medal Game, now trailing Germany in 3rd place.
Canada’s historic run in the Olympics, their first in 24 years, has propelled them to 5th place in the rankings, building on their third-place finish at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. Greece and Puerto Rico have each advanced one spot, with Greece now at 13th and Puerto Rico at 15th after their successes in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.
The Philippines have moved up four places to 34th, and Japan has jumped five spots to 21st following their Olympic performances. Costa Rica made the largest leap in the Top 100, rising 18 places to 71st, while El Salvador improved by 23 spots to 103rd, both after their performances in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Central American Pre-Qualifiers.
