Your Weekly Dose of FIBA Africa Zone 5 News: Burundi’s Gladiators, Egypt’s Canal SC, Rwanda’s Rebecca Cyuzuzo, Kenya’s KPA, Tanzania’s DB Lioness, and Uganda’s City Oilers are poised to propel African basketball forward through qualifiers, scholarships, league battles, and regional championships.
Last Updated on
October 3, 2025
Two of Burundi's top-tier clubs, Gladiators, the reigning league champions and Les Hippos, will represent the country at this year's Zone Five Women's Basketball League Africa (WBLA) qualifiers set for 8 to 16 November in Uganda.
The Gladiators, who triumphed in a six-game thriller back in July and will now head to Uganda, rely on the talents of their MVP, Aichata Traore, and Congolese Espérance Balita, should they be available, to go up against some of Africa's best teams in the competition.
The Zone Five qualifiers have been slated, tentatively, for 8 to 16 November in Uganda with at least ten teams expected to compete. KPA started their invitational with a resounding 71-29 victory over Made By Basketball (MBB) at the historic Mendiville Sports Complex.
“We managed to stop their runs and played deep into their defense. With our blend of experienced and young players, we were able to control the game,” said head coach Anthony Ojukwu.
African-American Madarious Gibbs has signed for Egyptian Super League side Canal SC. The 32-year-old combo guard has built a strong reputation in the Egyptian Super League, having previously played out for El-Tayaran and Aviation in back-to-back seasons between 2022 and 2024, following his debut in the 2021/22 season with Al Shams Club.
Gibbs has built a solid reputation as a fearless and skilled point guard with outstanding speed and quickness, making him exceptionally dangerous in fast-break transition offense. Additionally, he can score at all three levels, facilitate half-court offensive actions, and rebound and defend at a high level.
He excels in running the high pick-and-roll, penetrating defences to get into the lane and score or set up a scoring opportunity for his teammates. Gibbs is a scorer with the ability to get to the basket and finish with a floater or at the rim, possesses a very strong mid-range game, and has the range to knock down the 3-pointer.
He has also been praised for his great court awareness and understanding of the game.
Official Club Statement:
"Now, Gibbs joins Canal SC ready to bring his skill, experience, and winning mentality to the team. Welcome back to Egypt, Madarious!"
The East African Basketball Championship Cup (EABCC) Zone 5 Tournament is set to return Saturday, 5, to Friday, 10 October, at the Nyayo Stadium Gymnasium, in Nairobi, Kenya. The competition will feature some of the best teams from four countries battling for regional glory.
Kenyan powerhouse KPA, third-placed Ulinzi Warriors and Umoja have entered the competition, while Stein Warriors will represent Tanzania. Ethiopia's Gambela City, which had initially been announced for the Road to BAL 2026, have instead signed up for the EABCC. Burundi's Les Hippos complete the list of teams registered so far. Defending champions Remesha have not yet confirmed their participation in the event.
After making waves at the FIBA U18 Women's AfroBasket 2024 and her senior debut in Abidjan 2025, Rebecca Cyuzuzo has landed a fully sponsored scholarship to study at Ben Ford Christian School in Louisiana, US, the New Times reports.
Cyuzuzo, 18, had a good season in the Rwandese national basketball league, leading The Hoops Rwanda to a fourth-place finish. She was also named Most Improved Player in the 2025 regular season.
During her run at the 2024 FIBA U18 Women's AfroBasket championships, the young center had several standout games, including her performance against Tunisia, where she collected eleven rebounds and four steals, and the game against Mali, where she stepped up for her nation to grab thirteen boards and three blocks.
Friday night basketball is set to light up Petit Stade from 6 pm on October 3, with two highly anticipated games scheduled. Rwanda Energy Group (REG) defeated Kepler in the Semis to secure a final slot for the second year in a row. They play Tigers, who defeated APR in the Last Four to reach the final. The third-place match pits APR against Kepler, with a new champion set to be crowned.
Defending champions City Oilers defeated a stubborn Sommet in the semis to set up a dream final against Road to BAL-bound Namuwongo Blazers. This will be the 11th final in as many editions for the Oilers, against a Blazers side with unfinished business, a side that swept UCU Canons en route to the final.
Blazers, already qualified for Road to BAL 2026 as the top-placed team in the regular season, beat Oilers both home and away in that period, and will look to replicate that performance in the best-of-seven final playoff and end the holders' 10-year dominance. Meanwhile, in the women's playoffs, the experienced JKL team is taking on UCU Lady Canons in the Semifinals as JTL Jaguars face Stormers.
Michele Sokoudjou, who joined Lioness from the Kenyan side Equity Bank, and Ally Faraj Abdallah lit up the Don Bosco Oysterbay court, leading their respective sides to the title while being awarded Playoff MVPs.
[Photography Courtesy of Gladiators, DBLioness, KPA, FIBA, NBL, Courtesy]
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