AfroBasket 2009

[1] Tunisia won the bronze medal game over Cameroon to earn its first-ever FIBA World Championship berth.It is estimated that over 70 media channels covered the engagements, with the top three positioned squads automatically qualifying to represent the continent for the 2010 World Championship, to be held from August 28 to September 12, in Turkey.Before reaching the contract signing stage, and after Nigeria’s withdrawal, an organizing committee was formed by FIBA to investigate the facilities Libya had to offer regarding basketball courts and the possibility of refurbishing sites.The president of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) invited FIBA Africa’s officials in Tripoli to view first hand Libya’s preparations.To this end, before signing the contract between FIBA Africa and LBF, the Secretary General of FIBA Africa, Dr. Alphonse Bilé, the Assistant Secretary General, Adel Tooma and the President of the Commission for Competitions, Raouf Menjour, checked thoroughly the facilities and basketball courts that will serve the event and gave their approval.Group D also saw one of the best games of the tournament, as Morocco's Mohamad Hachad single-handedly shocked Rwanda when he hit a three-pointer with 29 seconds left, then stole the ball and passed to Yunss Akinocho for a jumper to erase a four-point lead in an 85–84 victory.Group E went according to form as defending champion Angola continued its undefeated run in the tournament by dismantling Libya and Côte d'Ivoire in its first two games.Nigeria followed suit, albeit in less than dominating fashion, by slipping by Egypt and Mali to set up a showdown in the final group play match with Angola.In the third quarterfinal, Cameroon never trailed in the second half to stun Nigeria, whose only previous loss had come at the hands of Angola.The Tunisians never trailed by more than eleven in the fourth quarter but could not cut the deficit lower than five en route to a ten-point loss.Angola won its sixth consecutive African championship after withstanding a valiant challenge from the upstart Côte d'Ivoire team.In the consolation bracket for quarterfinal losers, Central African Republic continued its strong run in the tournament following an 0–2 start in beating Mali 80-74.In a match-up that most expected would take place in the semifinals, Nigeria regained its preliminary round form in dismantling Senegal in the second game.In the consolation bracket for opening round losers, Cape Verde finally showed the form that won them the bronze medal at the FIBA Africa Championship 2007 in destroying Congo and Mozambique by 37 and 33 points, respectively.The following players were voted to the All-Tournament teams by journalists and experts in attendance at the tournament:[2][26] Pape-Philippe Amagou DeSagana Diop Joaquim Gomes (Tournament MVP) Amine Rzig Romain Sato Eduardo Mingas Carlos Morais Boniface Ndong Hesham Ali Salem Jeff Xavier Babacar Cisse Armando Costa Michael Efevberha Gaston Essengue Mouhammad Faye Robert Thomson