Charles Mushumba, the esteemed head coach of IPRC-South Basketball Club, has been entrusted with the leadership of the Rwandan national basketball team for the highly anticipated qualifiers of the esteemed FIBA Afro-CAN tournament. This exciting event is scheduled to take place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from June 17 to 23.
Mushumba’s remarkable appointment comes as a result of the strategic decision made by national team head coach Cheikh Sarr, who opted to concentrate his efforts on preparing the women’s national team for the highly anticipated 2023 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket finals. The finals are eagerly awaited and will be held in Kigali from July 26 to August 6.
Drawing from his extensive experience, Mushumba’s background as a former basketball player for the National University of Rwanda (NUR) in 1997 has undoubtedly equipped him with invaluable knowledge and skills for his coaching role. He has been recognized as a basketball authority since 2002 when he was bestowed the honor of head coach for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams at the prestigious university.
Working alongside Mushumba in this challenging endeavor is the esteemed Yves Murenzi, the current coach of United Generation Basketball (UGB). Murenzi’s wealth of coaching experience will undoubtedly complement Mushumba’s expertise, contributing to the team’s success.
The Afro-CAN tournament stands as a testament to the unwavering commitment to nurturing basketball talent within Africa. In a bid to promote local talent, participating national teams are restricted to including a maximum of two players from overseas, with the remaining ten players required to hail from African nations.
The upcoming qualifiers will play a pivotal role in determining which teams will secure their rightful place in the highly anticipated Afro-CAN finals. This exhilarating 12-nation tournament is scheduled to take place in Luanda, Angola, from July 7 to 16.
Among the tenacious teams vying for the sole available spot in the qualifiers from Africa Zone 5 are Burundi, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya (already qualified), Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, and Tanzania. The intense competition promises to be a battle of skill, determination, and sportsmanship.
Meanwhile, teams from Africa Zone 1, including Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia, will engage in fierce qualifiers from June 21 to 25 to ascertain the representative from their region in the final round. The eagerly awaited announcement of the host country for this qualifier only adds to the anticipation.
After a hiatus since 2019, the highly anticipated return of the FIBA Afro-CAN tournament is generating tremendous excitement. The automatic qualification has been granted to the impressive semi-finalists from the previous edition in 2019, including the reigning champions, DR Congo, the commendable runners-up, Kenya, as well as the distinguished third and fourth-placed teams, Angola and Morocco.
The tournament lineup has further expanded as Cameroon, winners of the Zone 4 qualifiers, and Mozambique, who secured the top spot in Zone 6, have both triumphed and earned their well-deserved positions in the tournament. Their skill, dedication, and tenacity will surely make them formidable contenders.
As the stage is set for the upcoming qualifiers and the subsequent Afro-CAN tournament, basketball enthusiasts eagerly await the captivating battles, unforgettable moments, and the triumph of the most deserving teams.
