Ghana is preparing to welcome West Africa’s leading young basketball players next month when Accra stages the FIBA Africa Zone 3 Under-16 Boys’ and Girls’ Tournament, bringing together emerging talent from across the sub-region.
The Ghanaian capital will host the event from November 15 to 20, 2026, before the zone’s General Meeting and Congress follows on November 21. Ghana Basketball Association will oversee the local arrangements as players, coaches, referees and administrators gather for a week that will combine youth competition with discussions on the game’s future.
Matches will be played at the Multipurpose Hall within the Borteyman Sports Complex in Accra. FIBA Africa Zone 3 is working with the FIBA Africa Development Commission and the Competitions Department to coordinate the tournament and its operational requirements.
FIBA Africa Zone 3 president Colonel Sam Ahmedu (retd) said the championship offers Ghana a chance to demonstrate its credentials as a venue for regional basketball events while helping young players build their experience.
“This event gives Ghana the chance to show that it can stage regional basketball competitions, while offering young boys and girls a stage to display their ability, gain important international exposure and improve their competitive experience,” Ahmedu said.
Attention will also move beyond the court on November 21, when the FAZ3 General Meeting and Congress is held at Barima Apartments and Hotels in Accra. The gathering will focus on the zone’s administrative agenda and long-term development plans.
Ahmedu said: “Representatives of the relevant basketball federations and other stakeholders are expected to use the meeting to discuss issues related to the administration, development and future direction of basketball in Zone 3.”
Each of the zone’s eight member federations has been asked to send delegates, continuing the approach used at earlier editions. The member nations are hosts Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Niger Republic, Benin Republic, Liberia, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire.
Nigeria’s national Under-16 boys’ and girls’ teams, along with teams from the other federations, have received official invitations. The event is expected to provide a significant regional test for Nigeria’s next generation of basketball prospects.
Delegations are due to reach Accra on November 15, with a technical meeting planned for the morning of November 16. The tournament will then run from November 16 through November 20, before teams depart on November 21.
Every squad will be permitted 12 players, three team officials and one accompanying referee. Organisers will conduct age-verification procedures, while the competition will be run in line with FIBA’s international basketball regulations.
For Ghana, the assignment involves more than hosting an age-grade championship. Accra will become a focal point for regional basketball, pairing games involving promising young athletes with practical discussions that may influence the sport’s progress throughout Zone 3.
With the relevant basketball authorities coordinating preparations, Ghana will aim to deliver both an impressive youth tournament and a constructive FIBA Africa Zone 3 Congress, with benefits intended to extend to the players, national federations and the wider African basketball community.
