African Baseball & Softball Association

WBSC Africa

Formation	June 8, 1990 (1990-06-08)
Type	International sport federation
Purpose	Sport governing body
Headquarters	Minna, Nigeria
Members	27
Official language	English
President	Uche Odozor
Parent organization	World Baseball Softball Confederation
Budget	$27,000 (2023[1])
Website	https://www.wbscafrica.org/

WBSC Africa, formerly known as the African Baseball and Softball Association (ABSA), is the governing body of baseball and softball within Africa. There are 27 members.^[2]

The confederation is responsible for operation of Baseball at the All-Africa Games and the Africa Cup Baseball Championship, last held in 2019.

South Africa is the only African country to compete in baseball at the Summer Olympics, in 2000,^[3] or World Baseball Classic, in 2006 and 2009.^[4][5]

The Tunisia Baseball5 team has reached the highest WBSC ranking of any African club, ranking second in the world in May 2024 after winning the Baseball5 African Championship.^[6][7]

History

The Africa Baseball and Softball Association (ABSA) was formed on June 8, 1990, in Lagos, Nigeria. The founding countries, 9 in number, were Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Lesotho, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The executive committee unanimously appointed at the inaugural meeting included Malcolm Burne (Zimbabwe) as president, Russell Bartlett (Namibia) as first vice president, Ray Pitcher (Zambia) as second vice president, Brigadier Ishola Williams (Nigeria) as secretary general, Lieutenant Colonel L Gwadabe (Nigeria) as assistant secretary general and Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke (Nigeria) as treasurer.^[8] The executive director of the International Baseball Association (IBA), David Osinski was present at the inaugural meeting. The meeting was declared open by the then Minister of Sports of Nigeria, Air Commodore Anthony Ikhazoboh.

The 1st ABSA Congress was organised in 1992 in Harare, Zimbabwe. Thereafter 6 congresses have been held, with the 2nd held in 1993 in Cape Town, South Africa, the 3rd in 1994 in Johannesburg, South Africa, the 4th in 1995 in Harare, Zimbabwe, the 5th in 1996 in Lagos, Nigeria at which a new executive committee was elected to replace the appointed one. This Executive Committee comprised Major General Ishola Williams (Nigeria) as president, Ray Pitcher (Zambia) as vice president baseball, Matthews Kutumela (South Africa) as vice president softball, Etienne N’Guessan (Côte d'Ivoire) as secretary general and Fridah Shiroya (Kenya) as treasurer.

Also in 1996, responsibility for the promotion and development of the games was devolved to zones, and zonal coordinators were appointed as follows: zonal chairman North Africa Zone – Mohammed Ben Guiza (Tunisia), zonal chairman East and Central Africa Zone – Solomon Gacece (Kenya), zonal coordinator West Africa Zone – Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke (Nigeria), and zonal chairman Southern Africa Zone – Edwin Bennett.

The Sixth Congress was held in 2001 in Minna, Nigeria. Françoise Kameni Lele (Cameroon) was elected treasurer and the 7th Congress in 2006 in Nairobi, Kenya. At the Seventh Congress, Major General Ishola Williams was confirmed as president, Fridah Shiroya was elected vice president softball, and Mabothobile Shebe (Lesotho) was elected secretary general.

The first Africa Cup Baseball Championship was organised in 1992 in Harare, Zimbabwe with four countries participating, with South Africa winning, Zimbabwe finishing second, Nigeria third, and Zambia fourth. The second Africa Cup Baseball Championship in 1993 in Cape Town, South Africa, the third Africa Cup Baseball Championship in 1995 in Harare, and the fourth Africa Cup Championship in 2001 in Kampala, Uganda.

The first time baseball featured in the All-Africa Games was in 1999 in the seventh All-Africa Games in South Africa, and the second time was in 2003 at the eighth All-Africa Games in Nigeria.^[8] South Africa won both tournaments.^[9]

The first age-group baseball tournament organised by the ABSA was the 1st ABSA/KENKO Under-13 Baseball Tournament, with teams from four countries participating: winners South Africa as well as Kenya, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe.

The ABSA also organized AA Under-15, AAA Under-17, club championships and Little League competitions.^[8]

Members

Baseball

Code	Association	National teams	Founded	Membership	IOC member	Note
BEN	Benin	(M, W)	2018	Full	Yes
BUR	Burkina Faso	(M, W)	2004	Full	Yes
CMR	Cameroon	(M, W)	1997	Full	Yes
CPV	Cape Verde	(M, W)	2020	Full	Yes
CHA	Chad	(M, W)	2005
COD	Congo	(M, W)	2010	Full	Yes
EGY	Egypt	(M, W)	2018	Full	Yes
GHA	Ghana	(M, W)	1992	Full	Yes
CIV	Ivory Coast	(M, W)	1996	Full	Yes
KEN	Kenya	(M, W)	1997	Full	Yes
LES	Lesotho	(M, W)	1994	Full	Yes
NIG	Niger	(M, W)	2018	Provisional
NGR	Nigeria	(M, W)	1989	Full	Yes
SLE	Sierra Leone	(M, W)	2021	Full	Yes
RSA	South Africa	(M, W)	1935	Full	Yes
SSD	South Sudan	(M, W)	2020	Full
TAN	Tanzania	(M, W)	2014	Full	Yes
TOG	Togo	(M, W)	1996	Full	Yes
TUN	Tunisia	(M, W)	1920	Full	Yes
UGA	Uganda	(M, W)	1989	Full	Yes
ZAM	Zambia	(M, W)	1979	Full	Yes
ZIM	Zimbabwe	(M, W)	1952	Full	Yes

Former members

These nations were members in the IBF but do not currently have membership in the WBSC and are not listed on WBSC Africa's website as of 2026.^[2]

Association	National teams
Angola	(M, W)
Botswana	(M, W)
Liberia	(M, W)
Morocco	(M, W)
Namibia	(M, W)

Softball

Code	Association	National teams	Founded	Membership	IOC member	Note
BEN	Benin	(M, W)	2018	Full	Yes
BOT	Botswana	(M, W)	1977	Full	Yes
BUR	Burkina Faso	(M, W)	2004	Full	Yes
CMR	Cameroon	(M, W)	1997	Full	Yes
CPV	Cape Verde	(M, W)	2020	Full	Yes
CHA	Chad	(M, W)	2005	Full
EGY	Egypt	(M, W)	2018	Full	Yes
GAM	Gambia	(M, W)	2009	Full	Yes
GHA	Ghana	(M, W)	1992	Full	Yes
GUI	Guinea	(M, W)	2008	Provisional
KEN	Kenya	(M, W)	1986	Full	Yes
LES	Lesotho	(M, W)	1994	Full	Yes
NIG	Niger	(M, W)	2018	Full
NGR	Nigeria	(M, W)	1989	Full	Yes
SEN	Senegal	(M, W)	2000	Full	Yes
RSA	South Africa	(M, W)	1994	Full	Yes
SSD	South Sudan	(M, W)	2020	Full
TAN	Tanzania	(M, W)	2014	Full	Yes
TUN	Tunisia	(M, W)	1920	Full	Yes
UGA	Uganda	(M, W)	1989	Full	Yes
ZAM	Zambia	(M, W)	1979	Full	Yes
ZIM	Zimbabwe	(M, W)	2008	Full	Yes

Former members

These nations are not listed on WBSC Africa's website as of 2026.^[2]

Association	National teams
Congo	(M, W)
Guinea-Bissau	(M, W)
Ivory Coast	(M, W)
Liberia	(M, W)
Mali	(M, W)
Namibia	(M, W)
Sierra Leone	(M, W)

WBSC World Rankings

Baseball

WBSC Men's Rankings (as of 26 March 2026)[10] Africa* WBSC +/- National Team Points 1 23  South Africa 479 2 49  Uganda 81 3 63  Kenya 26 4 64  South Sudan 25 5 81 1  Tanzania 4 *Local rankings based on WBSC ranking points

WBSC Women's Rankings (as of 31 December 2025)[11] Africa* WBSC +/- National Team Points 1 25 2  South Africa 20 *Local rankings based on WBSC ranking points

Softball

WBSC Men's Softball Rankings (as of 14 May 2026)[12] Africa* WBSC +/- National Team Points 1 15 1  South Africa 425 2 30  Botswana 73 3 41 2  Kenya 7 4 42 2  Lesotho 6 5 43 2  Uganda 3 *Local rankings based on WBSC ranking points

WBSC Women's Rankings (as of 31 December 2025)[13] Africa* WBSC +/- National Team Points 1 36 1  South Africa 240 2 46 4  Botswana 120 3 53  Uganda 66 4 64 10  Kenya 12 *Local rankings based on WBSC ranking points

Baseball5

WBSC Baseball5's Rankings (as of 6 May 2026)^[14]

Africa*	WBSC	+/-	National Team	Points
1	6	1	Tunisia	3606
2	10	1	Kenya	2430
3	13		South Africa	1621
4	20	3	Ghana	1055
5	21	9	Cape Verde	933
6	26	4	Zambia	849
7	28	31	Zimbabwe	578
8	31	6	Tanzania	506
9	41	5	Lesotho	409
10	43	14	Burkina Faso	348
11	45	15	Uganda	297
12	64	3	Botswana	104
13	65		Niger	100
14	70	9	Senegal	28
15	71	8	Ivory Coast	17
16	73	25	Nigeria	16
17	74	10	Benin	13
18	75	10	Togo	12
*Local rankings based on WBSC ranking points

Historical leaders

Highest Ranked Africa member in the WBSC Rankings

Men's baseball

Men's softball

Women's softball

Baseball5

See also

• World Baseball Softball Confederation
• Baseball awards#Africa

References

External links

• African Baseball and Softball Association
• Baseball and Softball for Africa