By Joe Apu
Former African champions, Nigeria retained her stranglehold on the top spot in Africa following the latest FIBA rankings released by FIBA on Friday.
The 2017 winners of the FIBA AfroBasket for Men remained tops as Nigeria held on to the 19th spot in the world (460.1) with Tunisia as the closest in 22 position on the world table and second in Africa having dropped two spots (447.5).
Senegal dropped a spot to be at 37 in the world and third in Africa (329.9) while 11-time African champions Angola is at number 41 in the world and fourth in Africa courtesy of their two-spot drop from the last ranking (310.6).
Cote d’Ivoire is at number 45 on the world ladder dropping one spot and is fifth in Africa (306.1).
However, history has been made as Spain is the new number-one team in the latest FIBA World Ranking Men, presented by Nike. With USA holding the number one spot for over 12 years, Spain is only the second team to top the ranking since its introduction in 2010.
Spain’s jump from No. 2 to the top spot resulted from their consistency in recent years in each game of each competition. Spain captured the titles at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 and the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 while also reaching the Quarter-Finals of the Tokyo Olympics. Their qualification campaigns since 2017 have also been very solid to help gain more points.
The United States of America meanwhile did claim the gold at the Olympics but they dropped out of the World Cup in the Quarter-Finals and finished third at the FIBA AmeriCup 2022.
Spain’s most recent window for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Qualifiers was once again successful, winning a thriller in Italy and against Netherlands in the European Qualifiers to book their ticket to Asia.