ALLAN THE MAN

The tournament field is filling up for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain.

At the AfroBasket in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, over the weekend, champions Angola, runners-up Egypt and third-place Senegal all booked their places in next year's hoops extravaganza over the weekend.

Since 1986, the Angolans have only once missed taking part in a FIBA World Championship.

They failed to reach the 1998 tournament in Athens.

Egypt last played at a World Championship in 1994 while Senegal have played in the event three times in their history, the last in 2006.

Senegal's Hamady Ndiaye is elated that he and his teammates have made it to the World Cup.

"Nobody believed in us," he said, "and here we are on the way to Spain."

The AfroBasket results proved there is parity in the African game.

Tunisia and Nigeria - teams that made it all the way to the London Olympics last summer - failed to qualify for the World Cup in Spain.

Tunisia were the defending AfroBasket champions but came up short of the Quarter-Finals when upset by Egypt, 77-67, in the first knockout game.

"I did not recognize my team throughout the tournament," Tunisia coach Adel Tlatli said. "This is not the team that played the 2012 Olympics, much less one that was bronze medalists at the Mediterranean Games."

Nigeria suffered heartbreak when Senegal edged them, 64-63, in the last eight. Olumide Oyedeji, the captain of D'Tigers, and all of country's fans had had their hearts set on a place in the World Cup.

"I know we have let down so many of our fans back home in Nigeria," Oyedeji said.

"All we can say is that we are very sorry."

So who else is in, and who is still trying to get to the World Cup?

The hosts, Spain, and Olympic champions Team USA were the first two sides to get their spots in the 24-team tournament.

Iran then stormed into the World Cup.

Led by veteran center Hamed Hadadi and coached by Memi Becirovic, the Iranians cruised into the FIBA Asia Championship Final and then captured the crown for the third time in the last four tries.

The Philippines, who staged the Asia Championship and lost to Iran in the title game, secured their place in the World Cup by winning their Semi-Final against Korea.

The Koreans became the third and last team in the Asian zone to reach the World Cup when they defeated Chinese Taipei in the Bronze Medal Game.

China, one of the powerhouses in the Asian game and a side that had competed at every FIBA World Championship since 2002 in Indianapolis, came up well short of the World Cup when falling to Chinese Taipei, 96-78, in the Quarter-Finals in Manila.

Australia defeated New Zealand in the FIBA Oceania Championship, with both sides clinching places after the two games.

The top four sides in the FIBA Americas Championship, which is being staged now in Caracas, Venezuela, will reach the World Cup.

It's anyone's guess who is going to make it because the competition is proving to be full of surprises.

World No. 3 Argentina have suffered a heavy defeat to the Dominican Republic, and Brazilhave crashed to a big loss to Canada, while Puerto Rican have prevailed in all three of their games.

All of the teams in the Americas are still in the hunt.

On Wednesday in Slovenia, meanwhile, the 24-team EuroBasket will tip off and there are six World Cup places up for grabs in that event.

If Spain finish in the first six, then the top seven teams will reach next year's tournament.

After the EuroBasket, there will be four World Cup wild card slots still to be filled.

2014 FIBA BASKETBALL WORLD CUP COMPLETE LIST OF QUALIFIERS:

Host Nation - SPAIN

2012 Olympics Champion - USA

FIBA Asia Championship 2013

1. Iran

2. Philippines

3. South Korea

FIBA Oceania Championship 2013

1. Australia

2. New Zealand

FIBA Africa Championship 2013

1. Angola

2. Egypt

3. Senegal

FIBA Americas Championship 2013 - (WATCH FREE LIVESTREAM HERE)

(Tournament Date: 30 August–11 September 2013) 

1. TBA

2. TBA

3. TBA

4. TBA

FIBA EuroBasket 2013

(Tournament Date: 04–22 September 2013)

1. TBA

2. TBA

3. TBA

4. TBA

5. TBA

6. TBA

Wild Cards

1. TBA

2. TBA

3. TBA

4. TBA

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