Men's U17 World Cup: The "Éléphanteaux" continue their preparations in France ahead of Türkiye.

With the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup just around the corner, Côte d’Ivoire’s young Elephants are continuing their preparation campaign ahead of the tournament scheduled from June 27 to July 5 in Turkey. The reigning African U16 champions are preparing for their first-ever appearance at the U17 World Cup.

Led by head coach Anderson Affi, the Ivorian squad is currently training in France, focusing on tactical development, technical improvement and physical preparation as they get ready to compete against the best young teams in the world.

During their preparation camp, Côte d’Ivoire has already played two friendly games against Switzerland’s U18 national team. The Elephants secured a first victory 96-83 before falling narrowly in the second matchup 99-95 after a competitive battle.

The next challenge awaits this Saturday, June 13, when Côte d’Ivoire faces France’s U17 national team at the Astroballe arena in Lyon. The game will provide another important test against a French squad coached by basketball legend Tony Parker, as the Elephants continue building momentum before the World Cup.

Drawn into Group D alongside Venezuela, Australia and Serbia, Côte d’Ivoire will look to make history and proudly represent Africa during its first-ever appearance on the global U17 stage.