Rwanda secured a spot in FIBA AfroBasket 2025 after defeating Gabon 81-71 in the final window of qualifiers. The victory placed them third in Group C of the AfroBasket Qualifiers with a 2-4 record.
Rwanda wrapped up their qualification campaign with a dominant performance against Gabon on February 23 at Salle IBN Yassine in Rabat, Morocco.
Facing the group’s weakest side, Rwanda led from start to finish without trailing at any point in the game.
Due to a lack of dominant big men in the paint, Rwanda relied heavily on their three-point shooting, similar to their previous game. As a result, Gabon dominated the boards (50-38) and paint (46-22), but Rwanda’s ball movement and perimeter shooting made the difference, hitting 13 of 37 threes against Gabon’s 3 of 17.
Ntore Habimana delivered another standout performance, posting 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Axel Mpoyo added 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, while Cadeau de Dieu Furaha contributed 14 points.
Gabon’s 20-year-old forward Daniel Quentin Akoue led his team with 18 points.With this win, Rwanda finished behind Senegal and Cameroon in Group C and secured their place in AfroBasket for the seventh time.
Rwanda has been a consistent presence in AfroBasket since their debut in 2007, only missing the 2015 edition. Hosting the tournament in 2021 was a significant milestone for the country.
Rwanda’s best AfroBasket finish was ninth place in 2009 in Benghazi.
Now, they join Angola, DR Congo, South Sudan, Mali, Senegal, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Madagascar, Tunisia, Guinea, Cape Verde, Libya, Uganda, and Nigeria in the 16-team tournament set for August in Angola.
