In the preliminary round there were two groups (groups A and B), with five teams in group A and four in group B. Each team played against each other exactly once, so that each team played exactly four games (group A) or three games (group B) (a total of 16 games were played). There were two points for each win and one point for a defeat. In the event of a tie, the direct comparison decided . Since Senegal won against the Central African Republic, the Central African Republic against Algeria and Algeria against Senegal in Group B, the relative basket ratio of these three games decided. Since Senegal with +13 and the Central African Republic with −2 had a better basket ratio than Algeria (−11), they moved into the semi-finals in that order. The first and second placed in a group advanced to the semi-finals, with the first placed against the respective runner-up of the respective other group. The third and fourth places played for places five to eight using the same procedure. Congo was fifth in Group A and automatically ninth.
Senegal (1st title)
Casablanca
Algeria Ivory Coast Republic of the Congo Mali Morocco Niger Senegal Sudan Central African Republic
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