Your Weekly Dose of FIBA Africa Zone 5 News: From teams readying for the Road to BAL and WBLA qualification, to the end of an era in Rwandan basketball, as well as international club transfers for several African players, here's your weekly recap of what's happening on the basketball courts in Zone 5.
Last Updated on
September 26, 2025
After a year in the cold, Dynamo BBC clinched the 2025 VBL title, dethroning Urunani in the playoff final held in July to get back to the Road to BAL, the Basketball Africa League qualifying tournament.
The side, coached by Julien Chaignot, no stranger to this team and in the Road to BAL, having previously coached Madagascar's COSPN in the qualifiers, in addition to his stint with the Burundians in 2024, will hope to put their BAL regular season demons behind them and advance to the BAL playoffs for the first time.
In March last year, after qualifying for the Basketball Africa League for the first time under his guidance, Dynamo withdrew from the BAL after refusing to wear a jersey with the 'Visit Rwanda' logo on it. The side covered the message when they beat Cape Town Tigers 86-73 in their opening match in the Kalahari Conference.
The protest came amid political tensions between the two countries. Burundi had closed its borders with Rwanda in January 2024 after accusing its neighbour of funding rebel attacks.
Changwon LG Sakers, the reigning Korean Basketball League (KBL) champions and participants in the Basketball Champions League Asia, have signed 33-year-old Egyptian center Assem Marei for the 2025-26 season. He is the second foreign player on the team, after Nigerian Michael Eric, who has also signed.
Marei is making a comeback to Sakers, having played for them in the 2025 season, leading them to a maiden title in the club's 28-year history. He rejoins after leading Al Ahly Tripoli to their first BAL title, averaging 14.6ppg, 12.0rpg, and 4.6apg in five matches.
Le Mans Sarthe Basket, who play in France's top-tier Betclic ÉLITE ProA, have signed 32-year-old Canadian-Eritrean international guard Johnny Berhanemeskel for the 2025/26 season. He returns to Betclic ÉLITE after averaging 12.8 PPG, 2.6 RPG and 2.3 APG with Gravelines-Dunkerque in 23 games played for the 2023-24 season.
Berhanemeskel also played five games in the FIBA Europe Cup, where he recorded 14.6ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.0apg, and 1.0spg in the 2023-24 season.
Elsewhere, Yafet Haile, an Eritrean-Swiss basketball player who recently graduated from the University of Central Missouri, is starting his professional career with Starwings Basket Basel in the Swiss SBL, which begins on October 1.
Back-to-back Kenya Basketball champions Nairobi City Thunder are looking to extend their dominance to the Road to BAL and qualify for another edition following their 2025 debut. Thunder clinched their second championship with a commanding 3-0 sweep over Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), extending their incredible unbeaten run to 82 games.
The Kenyan side is likely to begin their campaign for another BAL qualification at home, with FIBA set to unveil Kenya as host to some of their upcoming Zone Five BAL and Women's Basketball League Africa (WBLA) qualification tournaments. Under coach Bradley Ibs, the side recorded a 1-5 record in the Nile Conference hosted in Kigali, securing their first-ever BAL win against MBB.
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After failing to reach the 2024 Women's Basketball League Africa final, Kenyan champion Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) are keen to return to the top-tier continental stage of African women's club basketball. The Antony Ojukwu-coached side swept Zetech Sparks 3-0 in the playoffs final to reclaim their title as the two sides booked a place in the qualifiers set tentatively for early next month.
Meanwhile, KPA men will bank on home advantage as they eye the East Africa Basketball Championship Cup (EABCC) Zone 5, confirmed for a return to Nairobi after a successful inaugural event last December. The league was established by Zone president Hesham El Hariri, aiming to provide a competition for teams that did not qualify for the Road to BAL as national champions.
Rwanda Basketball Federation (FERWABA) and national team head coach Cheikh Sarr agreed to part ways by mutual consent, bringing to an end the Senegalese's four-year stay in Rwanda. Sarr has been in charge of both the men's and women's national teams since April 2021, and his contract was due to expire in March 2027, according to New Times.
The highlight of his tenure at the helm of the East African nation remains the country's bronze medal at the FIBA AfroCAN in 2023. In the same year, the women's national team finished fourth at the Afrobasket Women's following their 89-51 loss to Mali in the third-place game.
He also led the women's team during their impressive but ultimately failed FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Pre-Qualifiers run.
In a somewhat watered-down Men's Rwanda Cup, following the withdrawal of several clubs led by powerhouse Patriots, holders APR are chasing a second title. The tournament, running from September 17 to October 3, features five teams, including Rwanda Energy Group (REG), East African University (EAU), Kepler, Tigers, and defending champions APR.
In the women's league played earlier in the month, REG denied holders APR to clinch the double, having lifted the league title this season. Established in 2024, the Rwanda Cup aims to increase the number of competitions and teams in the country, fostering player development and raising overall performance standards.
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The Namuwongo Blazers will represent Uganda in the upcoming Road to BAL 2026 qualifiers. This decision was announced by the Federation of Uganda Basketball Associations (FUBA) after a meeting with the National Basketball League (NBL) semifinalists. Reigning champions City Oilers are reportedly opting out of participation, as are Sommet and UCU Canons, leaving the Blazers as the only team interested in competing on the continental stage.
Andrew Tendo's Blazers finished at the top of the league in the regular season and argued that they were the logical choice for the federation, as the playoffs were still ongoing. The Blazers are through to the playoffs final, where they will play the winner of the decisive Game Five between the Oilers and Sommet, set for Friday, 26 September.
The meeting also resolved that this year's NBL Champion will not represent Uganda at any FIBA Club competition. Instead, the 2026 NBL Season shall start in January and end in July 2026 to allow the nation to have a representative for the Road to BAL. The Oilers have been a constant on the Road to the BAL but have yet to reach the coveted playoffs.
She finished the competition with a tournament-high 17 treys in 61 attempts, her highest tally in a single game, 9, coming against Tunisia in the classification matches.
Tanzania may have arrived in Kigali as outsiders. Still, a shock 60-53 victory over Tunisia in a Group A fixture turned the tide, giving them a second win in the age-group competition, six years after their first. They beat the North Africans a second time, 70-59, in the classification matches to achieve a remarkable seventh-place finish.
[Photography Courtesy of FERWABA, New Times, Hoops Mtaani, Dynamo, Daily Monitor, FIBA]
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