Gabon secured the first qualifying spot for the 2027 FIBA AfroCan by beating the Republic of the Congo 86-58 in Douala, Cameroon. The Congolese led 4-2 early before Gabon took control of the one-sided contest.
The result marked Gabon's second consecutive victory in the three-team FIBA Africa Zone 4 qualifier, coming 24 hours after they beat hosts Cameroon. Adonis Abessolo punished the Congolese defence from beyond the arc with 20 points, while Dolivitch Moupomo added 18 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Elysé Makambo chipped in with 12 points off the bench.
For the Red Devils of Congo, coached by former Angolan international Jorge Tati, substitute Joel Kodi led the scoring with 19 points, with Edlain Kurthy Elenga adding 12 off the bench. Congo will face Cameroon in the final game of the regional qualifier on Monday.
Gabon's win means they have joined a quartet of teams who automatically qualified for next year's AfroCan by reaching the semi-finals of the 2023 tournament: reigning champions Morocco, Côte d'Ivoire, DR Congo and Rwanda.
