The Cape Verde national basketball team represents Cape Verde in international basketball matches and is administered by the Federação Cabo-verdiana de Basquetebol.
Its greatest accomplishment was the bronze medal at the AfroBasket 2007, where Cape Verde beat Egypt in its last game.
On 26 February 2023, Cape Verde qualified for their first-ever World Cup when they claimed their ticket to the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. The country became the smallest nation to ever qualify for a World Cup, breaking a record that was held by Montenegro.
History Early development Basketball in Cape Verde gained structure following independence in 1975, but formal organization only began later with the establishment of the Federação Cabo-verdiana de Basquetebol. The federation joined FIBA in 1988.
AfroBasket debut Cape Verde debuted in the AfroBasket in 1997, finishing 7th in the nine-team tournament. They returned in 1999 and steadily improved in subsequent editions.
Historic bronze at AfroBasket 2007 At the 2007 AfroBasket in Angola, Cape Verde won 62–53 against Nigeria in the quarterfinals, lost to host nation Angola in the semifinals, and won against Egypt 53–51 in the third-place match. This secured Cape Verde’s first-ever medal at the continental championship.
Edy "Walter" Tavares joins the team In 2013, center Edy Tavares joined. He was named to the All-Star Five at AfroBasket 2021 and averaged a double-double during World Cup qualifying.
World Cup qualification On 26 February 2023, Cape Verde qualified for the FIBA Basketball World Cup for the first time by defeating Ivory Coast in the African qualifiers. With this, Cape Verde became the smallest nation by population ever to reach the World Cup, surpassing Montenegro’s record.
World Cup debut At the 2023 World Cup in the Philippines, Cape Verde earned their first-ever win on the world stage by defeating Venezuela 81–75. Edy Tavares contributed 14 rebounds along with defensive dominance to secure the victory.
AfroBasket 2025 performance At AfroBasket 2025, Cape Verde continued to rely on Tavares, who set a new personal record with 19 rebounds in the group stage. Despite a 81–82 loss to Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Verde remained in contention for a quarterfinal spot.
Achievements Bronze medal at the 2006 Lusophony Games Bronze medal at the AfroBasket 2007 Silver medal at the 2009 Lusophony Games
Competitive record FIBA World Cup YearRoundPosition 1990Did not qualify 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2019 2023Classification round28th514 2027To be determined 2031Total1/11 5 1 4
AfroBasket Third place Fourth place YearRoundPosition 1989 Did not qualify 1992 1993 1995 1997 Classification stage 7th 4 1 3 1999 Preliminary round 9th 6 3 3 2001 Did not qualify 2003 2005 2007 Third place 3rd 6 4 2 2009 Classification rounds 13th 5 3 2 2011 Did not qualify 2013 Quarter-finals 6th 7 4 3 2015 Round of 16 10th 5 3 2 2017 Did not qualify 2021 Fourth place 4th 6 3 3 2025 Quarter-finals 8th 5 3 2Total8/17 44 24 20
African Games
2011 – 6th
Lusophony Games
2006 – 2009 – 2014 – 4th
Team Current roster Roster for the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket.
Head coach position Carlos Tavares – early 2000s Manuel da Costa – early 2000s Rui Silva – early 2000s Emanuel Trovoada – 2007 Eric Silva – 2008 Alex Nwora – 2009–2013Head coaches, fiba.com. Retrieved 8 May 2013. Antonio Tavares – 2014 Luis Magalhães – 2015 Emanuel Trovoada – 2016–2022 Jorge Rito – 2023 (e.g., AfroCan 2023 & subsequent competitions) Emanuel Trovoada – 2024–present (returned after 2023 stint by Rito)
Past rosters Team for the 2013 FIBA Africa Championship.
Roster for AfroBasket 2021.
Roster for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Kit Manufacturer 2015 – Peak
2025 – Dhika
Sponsor 2015 – Zap
See also Cape Verde women's national basketball team
References
External links FIBA profile
Videos Cote d'Ivoire v Cape Verde – Game Highlights – Group D – AfroBasket 2015 Youtube.com video