It is no secret that Africa is one of the greatest hotbeds of basketball talent in the world and, in many ways, its future. Since 2007, every NBA MVP but one, Nikola Jokić, is of African descent or direct ancestry, including Joel Embiid (Cameroon) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Nigeria). Many of the sport’s brightest new talents are appearing across the continent, including Ruben Chinyelu of Florida (Nigeria), Massamba Diop of Gonzaga (Senegal), and top Class of 2027 center Lewis Uvwo (Nigeria). For this reason, all basketball fans need to keep their eyes peeled for the next generation of African stars. The FIBA U18 AfroBasket is the strongest African youth basketball tournament in the world, and this past week, 12 youth national teams who qualified from across the continent competed for the U18 AfroBasket crown in Abidjan. Here are the top five budding stars who shined the brightest in this strong African Generation.
Ngaba Yaya, 6-foot-9 point forward, Chad
The 2026 tournament held special significance for the Chadian squad and people. It was the first time in the over 50-year history of the U18 AfroBasket in which Chad, a Central African country that has never secured a single Olympic medal, qualified for the tournament. The cause was entirely on the back of Ngaba Yaya. In the Zone 4 Qualifiers, Yaya took home the Zone 4 MVP after averaging an unreal 24.2 points, 22.8 rebounds, 3.0 steals, and 3.8 blocks per game, including a heroic 27-point, 28-rebound double-double in the championship win over Gabon.
The stage was then set for Yaya and Chad to send a message to the rest of Africa that they were serious players in the continent’s Basketball landscape. Yaya did not disappoint at all. Listed as a “point guard” by Chad on their rosters, Yaya was tasked with handling the ball, organizing, and propelling Chad’s offense. In their first game against the eventual champions Côte d’Ivoire, Chad understandably struggled to a 51-104 loss. Yet, individually, Yaya more than held his own. Yaya debuted with a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double on 13 shots and swatted away 2 attempts on defense, putting up a team high on offense and a team low in turnovers.
The following match was another historic moment for Chad as they knocked off 6-time U18 AfroBasket champions Nigeria 59-50 behind an awe-inspiring 15 points, 21 rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 blocks from Yaya. This was the first time in Chad’s history that they had beaten Nigeria in any soccer or basketball match in their history.
In the next game, Yaya outdid himself with 33 points (14/24 FG | 3/6 3PT | 2/4 FT), 19 rebounds, 7 blocks, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 turnovers. He registered a mammoth 44.11 NPI, meaning statistically he was responsible for over 44 points worth of positive impact all on his own. Oh yeah, and this was against Egypt, the 25th-ranked junior men’s nation in the world and 11-time medalists at this event, again registering the first time Chad has ever bested Egypt in a basketball game. Yaya had 2 more large double-doubles in the knockout stages, but Chad was unable to advance past the quarterfinals. However, Yaya averaged 17.3 points, 14.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 3.2 blocks, and 1.8 steals to secure a much-deserved FIBA U18-AfroBasket All-Star 5 award and a lifetime of heroism in his home country.
Yaya currently plays for the small Espoir Basket Club in Gabon, but his recent exploits have captured the attention of a number of prep academies, colleges, and even the OTE circuit, per sources. As a player, the stats only partially do his abilities justice. Yaya is a fierce competitor who keeps his head down and works with his team. He’s a lengthy 6’9” tall with genuinely good handles, inside touch, and a developing 3-point shot, which hit at a 25% mark throughout the tournament. Yaya is an incredibly developed player, and he hasn’t even touched North American or European coaching yet; the sky is truly the limit for Yaya, who looks like he could suit up for a high major tomorrow morning.
College caliber: High major sixth-man
Plays like: Grant Nelson (Alabama/NDSU)
Harinosy A’Ranty Rasetriarivony, 6-foot point guard, Madagascar
Rasetriarivony appeared on my radar in July when he put up a triple-double of 21 points, 10 assists, and 10 steals in a qualification match against Namibia. He immediately looked a step above every other player on the floor, and I couldn’t help but be excited to see what he would do against stronger competition. In the U18 AfroBasket, Rasetriarivony proved he could hold his own with the big dogs. He led Madagascar to a 3-3 record in the tournament and registered yet another triple-double in their final game against Chad, this time with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. In total, Rasetriarivony led the tournament in points (18.2 per game), assists (7.2 per game), and was second in steals (2.7 per game). His 18.2 points per game came on an efficient 46% from the field and even while weighed down by a 17.1% clip from deep.
Rasetriarivony is a true six-footer with solid speed, great feel for the game, and a white mind that doesn’t rush into decisions. His eyes are always up and looking for a passer; he knows when to put his shoulder down and charge, and he is a vocal leader on the court as a true point general. He’s a player who genuinely seems to enjoy playing defense, and his eyes are always scanning for a lane to jump or an opening to swipe the ball away from his opponent. Africa is not well known for its strong guard play, especially from domestic products like Rasetriarivony, who plays for the Malagasy club Jeunes Chrétiens Basketteurs d'Antananarivo (JCBA). His performance and scoring title at the U18 AfroBasket will certainly attract some more opportunities for the young guard; he seems capable, intelligent, and has a lot of fun with the game, which should take him far.
College Caliber: Mid major backup
Plays like: Marquis Nowell (Kansas State)
Noah El Baze, 6-foot-5 point guard, Morocco/France
2026 was an overall underwhelming tournament for Morocco’s junior national team, but that didn’t stop this oversized guard from catching my attention. A polar opposite but nonetheless effective mirror of Harinosy A’Ranty Rasetriarivony, El Baze was often one of the tallest players on the floor and probably the most skilled. El Baze had big performances against Mali (16 points, 13 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 assists) and Gabon (14 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists, 7 steals) and led the tournament in steals per game (3.8)
El Baze certainly looks the part of a professional guard. He’s an ambitious, creative passer who whips in one-handed passes into tight windows, bounce passes through traffic, and swings passes from the hip, and despite what every high school coach would have to say, it works. His mind works extremely fast. His processing time is so fast it looks like he’s acting on his first impulse, yet throughout the tournament he made some jaw-dropping passes and had a 20/13 assist-to-turnover ratio. His hands work fast on defense, and his instincts are top-notch to bite when he sees an opportunity to disrupt. He’s not overwhelmingly fast, but his first step creates separation from defenders, and his height allows him to score over most guards. His 3-point shot is serviceable, and he only fires from deep when he is very open; he knows it’s not his strong suit and he accounts for that. El Baze looks like a player who will have a long career.
College Caliber: Mid-to-Low major starter
Plays like: Drive-first Tyrese Proctor
Belal Sohaib, 6-foot-9 power forward, Egypt
One of the most impressive athletes in the tournament, Sohaib is a lengthy and surprisingly fast big man with a superhuman knack for getting his arms up in a flash for blocks, swats, and deflections. Leading Senegal to finish 2nd in the tournament in blocks (3.0 per game), only behind Ngaba Yaya. Across the tournament, Sohaib’s game highs were 17 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 blocks. He has a fluid game, performing delicate spin moves into artful fadeaway jumpers. He only shoots threes when defenders let off of him, but when he shoots them, he’s relatively accurate. His hands feel impossibly large on defense, always getting a piece of any ball coming his way. He does seem to have trouble knowing where the other players are on the floor, allowing unguarded rebounders to sneak around him and cutting players to drive by him, but his speed and length allow him to usually make up the distance at this level of competition.
Sohaib’s abilities and frame lend him to be an athletic project at the next level; his game certainly has more polishing to do, but in terms of sheer potential, it’s hard to ignore the kind of player Belal Sohaib could be if he could put it all together.
College Caliber: Mid-major rotation piece/high major project
Plays like: More fluid Tuangthach Gatkek (Florida/Texas State/Little Rock)
Codé Mbengue, 6-foot-10 center, Senegal
Mbengue is the player I am most certain you will see in the NCAA very soon. This was actually the Senegalese center’s second U18 AfroBasket tournament. Back in 2024 in South Africa, Mbengue averaged a near double-double (9.3 points, 10.5 rebounds) as a 16-year-old in a bronze medal campaign for Senegal. This year, he came back with expectations and the poise to win. The incredibly muscular and stocky true center bullied opponents in the paint, pulling down 15.1 rebounds per 40 minutes. His most iconic effort was a hard-fought defensive semifinal match against Mali, in which he had 9 points, 17 rebounds, of which 6 were offensive, 2 steals, and 3 blocks as Senegal eked out a 55-51 win, breaking down in emotion post-game.
Although Senegal did not take home the championship, Mbengue helped them win a silver medal and was rewarded personally with a spot on the tournament’s All-Star 5. Mbengue currently plays for Gran Canaria in the Spanish U22 league, where he is turning heads and attracting attention as one of Europe’s best 2008-born centers. He recently signed a long-term deal with the squad, but everything is malleable with professional and college sports nowadays; I wouldn’t be shocked to see him in the SEC or Big Ten very soon.
College Caliber: Low-end High Major starter
Plays like: Mouhamed Sylla (Georgia Tech)
Others with high hopes that I didn’t mention:
Nathan Djako, 6-foot-3 shooting guard, Côte d’Ivoire (won MVP at only 15 years old)
Idriss Toumi, 6-foot-7 shooting guard, Tunisia
James Minlend, 6-foot-6 guard, Cameroon
Sean Mwesigwa, 6-foot-2 guard, Rwanda (Outstanding in Qualifiers but couldn’t participate in Abidjan)
Raphael Ouedraogo, 6-foot-10 center, Côte d’Ivoire (also only 15 years old)
Abdoul Karim Diallo, 6-foot-7 power forward, Mali
