Accra to Welcome West Africa's Best Young Basketball Talent as Ghana Hosts FIBA Zone 3 U-16 Championship

Ghana is set to place itself firmly on the continental basketball map when Accra hosts the FIBA Africa Zone 3 Under-16 Boys and Girls Championship later this month. The five-day tournament, running from 15 to 21 November at the Multipurpose Hall of the Borteyman Sports Complex, will bring together seven West African federations competing for regional supremacy at the youth level — and signals a growing ambition within Ghanaian basketball to establish the country as a credible host nation for international competitions.

What to expect from the tournament

Seven federations from FIBA Africa Zone 3 will contest both the boys and girls titles: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria, Togo and host nation Ghana. In total, 14 teams are expected to take part, with each side allowed a squad of 12 players accompanied by three team officials and a referee. Organisers anticipate that more than 250 players, coaches, referees, officials and administrators will descend on Accra for the event.

Participating countries are scheduled to arrive on 15 November, with a technical meeting set for the morning of 16 November to finalise competition arrangements, including age eligibility checks and adherence to FIBA's international rules. The championship will close on 21 November with a FIBA Africa Zone 3 General Meeting and Congress, bringing together federation representatives and key stakeholders to chart the future direction of basketball administration and development across the zone.

Madam Aurora Commodore, a member of the Local Organising Committee, confirmed that her team is working closely with the FIBA Africa Competitions Department to ensure smooth delivery of the event. She pointed to Ghana's successful hosting of the FIBA Africa U-16 Zone 3 qualifying tournament at the Eden Heights Sports Complex in Weija in June 2023 as proof that the country has the experience and infrastructure to manage a tournament of this scale.

Why it matters for Ghana

Basketball has historically lived in the shadow of football in Ghana, but the sport has been quietly building a broader base in recent years. Youth participation is on the rise, school-level competitions are expanding, and events like this championship offer young Ghanaian players meaningful exposure to international-level officiating, tactics and competition pressure — experience that is difficult to replicate domestically.

Hosting the tournament also carries economic and reputational benefits. With over 250 visitors expected from across the sub-region, hotels, transport operators and local businesses stand to benefit from the influx. More importantly, a well-organised championship strengthens Ghana's standing with FIBA Africa, increasing the likelihood of securing future tournaments and development programmes.

Madam Commodore expressed optimism that the event would leave a lasting impression on participants and spectators alike, and help accelerate the growth of basketball at both the community and elite levels in Ghana. For the young players involved — many of whom will be competing internationally for the first time — the experience of performing in front of a home crowd at a modern facility like Borteyman could prove formative.

The bigger picture for African basketball

Zone 3 of FIBA Africa covers much of West Africa, a region that has produced a number of players who have gone on to compete professionally in Europe and North America. Under-16 championships like this one serve as an early scouting ground, with coaches and federation officials using them to identify talent for older age-group teams and, eventually, senior national squads. Nigeria, in particular, has historically been a dominant force in West African basketball, but Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire have been investing in their youth programmes and will be eager to test their progress against regional rivals on home soil.

• Dates: 15–21 November at Borteyman Sports Complex, Accra
• Teams: Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Burkina Faso, Liberia and Togo
• Scale: 14 teams, more than 250 players and officials expected