Rwanda’s Men’s National Basketball Team receives a hero’s welcome at Kigali International Airport after reaching the AfroCan Semifinals and winning the bronze medal in a basketball championship concluded in Luanda, Angola.

July 18, 2023, Officials from the Ministry of Sports, the Rwanda Basketball Federation, and athletes’ families greeted and garlanded the Rwandan team upon their arrival at Kigali International Airport. Rwanda made headlines on Sunday after beating DRC 82-73 to claim the bronze medal in the second edition of the FIBA Africa Cup of Nations, AfroCan.

Rwanda, The Zone 5 flag bearers landed safely in Kigali, Tuesday early morning, after an admirable performance in the second edition of FIBA AfroCan 2023, placing third behind Côte d’Ivoire, first runner up, and Morocco, the champions.

Rwanda’s run to the semi-finals and bronze medal was the country’s greatest ever in Africa Basketball. Speaking with the tournament’s best three-point shooter and team captain, Dieudonné Ndizeye Ndayisaba praised the teamwork as the key factor in achieving that milestone

“I would say that the trip went well; we had a good championship and claimed a third place for our first appearance in the competition.”

“In the competition, we have been learning from our mistakes, growing in the competition even though he didn’t make it to the final” said the captain Ndizeye

Ndizeye, also known as Gaston, went on to thank his teammates for working together to help him fulfil his personal goals, such as finishing the tournament best three-pointer and earning a position in the tournament’s best five.

“I’d want to thank my colleagues for their cooperation during this competition; without them, I would not have been able to do what I did. They assisted me and gave me confidence.”

Yves Murenzi, the championship’s interim coach, emphasized how tough the competition was and praised the importance of Rwanda’s captains and icons, Kenneth Gasana and Aristide Mugabe in instilling team chemistry and a positive attitude in the locker room.

During the completed 2023 AfroCan, Aristide Mugabe, the retired and long-serving captain, in addition to Kenneth Gasana, the current team captain but sidelined due to an Achilles tendon, were members of the coaching staff.

Rwanda, alongside Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are all assured seats in the 2027 AfroCan competition since they finish in the top four in 2023 AfroCan 

PHOTOS: FERWABA

Following setbacks in the FIBA AfroCan semifinals on Friday, two East African countries, Rwanda and DRC, returned to fight for the Bronze medal with Rwanda triumphing

LUANDA, July 16, The Rwandan National Basketball Team claimed third place in the 2023 AfroCan after defeating the Democratic Republic of the Congo 82-73. Dieudonné Ndizeye Ndayisaba lit up the scoreboard once more, scoring 22 points.

DR Congo versus Rwanda game is a rivalry for players who know each other since DRC has three players that ply their trade in Rwanda, namely captain Manga Pitchou, Espoir Aganze, and Rolly Fula, as well as Kasasa Bob and Mike Kazunguzibwa who played in the Rwanda Basketball League.

Rwanda outscored DRC 12-9 in points from turnovers, 22-20 in fast break points, 18-12 in second-chance points, 40-38 points in the paint, and 28-20 points from the bench. With these key statistics, Rwanda defeated DR Congo for the second time since an 82-68 victory in the 2021 AfroBasket.

The third-place game was followed by the championship game between Côte d’Ivoire and Morocco, with Morocco winning by a two-point margin, 78-76.

During the closing ceremony, DRC’s Manga Pitchou was named top rebounder, Dieudonné Ndizeye Ndayisaba won the best three-point shooter, and Evariste Shonganya claimed the top scorer award.

Kevin Franceschi, MVP was joined in the All-Tournament squad by his Moroccan colleague Jihad Benchlikha, Dieudonné Ndizeye Ndayisaba (Rwandan), Mike Fofana (Côte d’Ivoire), and Evariste Shonganya (DRC).

According to the competition’s regulations, as the semifinalists, Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, Rwanda, and the DRC are all guaranteed spots in the 2027 AfroCan competition.

The AfroCan is a quadrennial FIBA Africa event held two years after the AfroBasket. It is intended for African players who play in Africa, with the exception of two players who play beyond the continent, and the competition’s purpose is to give local players more exposure.

Rwanda suffered another late setback, ending their campaign in the Semifinals as Côte d’Ivoire came from 12 points behind to defeat them and proceed to the 2023 AfroCan Finals.

Friday, July 14, 2023, Rwanda led Côte d’Ivoire for almost the entire game until succumbing in the last 48 seconds.

Rwanda began on a high note with back-to-back three-pointers from William Robeyns and Nshobozwa, but Côte d’Ivoire responded with a strong three-point defense that held Rwanda to a score of 12 points, demonstrating that Rwanda’s offense relies on long-range shooting and their ability to drive into the paint is limited. As a result, the first quarter finished 13-12 in favor of Côte d’Ivoire.

Ntore Habimana came off the bench in the second quarter and seized control of the game using his ball-handling, fixing, and distributing skills to feed the balls to Ndizeye, who did not disappoint. Within 5 minutes, the Rwandans had a 10-point advantage then headed into the halftime break leading by 8 points, 37-29.

In the third period, Rwanda made 7-of-10 three-pointers with Dieudonné Ndizeye hitting four in a row. Côte d’Ivoire was clearly struggling with Rwanda’s long-range shots, as they only managed one shot out of twelve tries, while Rwanda was making it rain, 9-16.

Doh Kone-coached side controlled the paint in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to zero until 2:25 minutes when Ntore Habimana was reintroduced on court, responding with a crucial long-range shot to give Rwanda a three-point advantage, 50-47.

Within 1 minute on the clock, in offensive transition, Ntore assisted his captain Ndizeye to expand the advantage to 6 points, and the third quarter concluded 55-49.

Côte d’Ivoire began the final quarter with a commendable attitude, narrowing the deficit to two points until Ndizeye committed an unsportsmanlike foul, and the opponent didn’t mess up, forcing them to equalize the score at 57.

Within the last five minutes, Robyens and Ntore Habimana nailed back-to-back three-pointers to regain the six-point lead.

The Ivorians did not lay down their weapons since they were aware that they were being overpowered in practically all of their games in this tournament yet still managed to win them. In money time, they reduced the deficit once more to even the score at 65.

Robeyns hit another long-range shot to make it 68-65, but the Elephants trimmed the margin for good and forever. Mike Fofana’s three-pointer gave them the lead for the first time with 48 seconds left. 70-68

With 16 seconds left on the clock, William drew a foul behind the arc and converted three free throws to give Rwanda a one-point lead, 71-70.

Côte d’Ivoire requested a timeout for the last possession, and after the timeout, Kendal Gray committed a foul, giving Côte d’Ivoire two free throws, which Siré Dieng converted all of to put Côte d’Ivoire up once more. 72-71

Rwanda asked for another timeout to capitalize on the final possession, but Nshobozwa missed a game-winning shot. Then, the Rwandans had to commit a foul to stop the time, but it didn’t work as Mike Fofana hit both free throws to make the score 74-71.

Côte d’Ivoire secured a hard-fought victory with a strong defense in the last four seconds.

There are no doubts that poor game management cost Rwanda another game in this tournament, but it is understandable given that Rwanda’s head coach, Dr. Cheikh Sarr didn’t make it Luanda since He is currently preparing the women’s team for the upcoming FIBA Women’s AfroBasket.

Dieudonné Ndizeye Ndayisaba’s 24 points, 12 points, and 10 rebounds double-double from Kendall Gray were not enough for Rwanda, as the Côte d’Ivoire trio of Mike Fofana, Zamba Camara, and Lionel Kouadio combined for 54 points in the triumph.

the Rwandans will battle DR Congo for a bronze medal tomorrow, while Côte d’Ivoire will face Morocco in the 2023 AfroCan finals. All games are being held in the Kilamba Arena.

Nshobozwabyosenumukiza scored 22 points as Rwanda rolled past Angola 73-63 in the quarterfinals of the FIBA AfroCan.

LUANDA, July 13, the Rwandan side delivered a statement on its way to the FIBA AfroCan semifinals by surprising the host country Angola in front of their supporters at the Pavilhao Multiusos de Luanda.

After Mozambique was expelled on this Wednesday by Rwandans, A team led by Dieudonné Ndizeye as a captain, also shut down Angola’s potent offensive attack, and hung on for a wholly unexpected trip to the semifinals.

Jean Jacques Nshobozwabyosenumukiza scored 22 points in this game on 6-of-18 shooting while Ntore Habimana added 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting. Nshobozwa’s performance was unapparelled as he added 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 6 steals in 33 minutes spent on court.

In their maiden AfroCan participation, The Rwandan team will face Côte d’Ivoire in the semifinals tomorrow, while Angola will rub shoulders with Tunisia in a classification game.

In another semifinal encounter, Morocco will face the reigning champions DRC.

Rwanda’s Men’s National Basketball Team is through to the quarterfinals of the FIBA AfroCan after beating Mozambique 73-62

Rwanda defeated Mozambique and advanced to the quarterfinals after overpowering them from behind the three-point line. They hit 12 of 28 three-point attempts, outscoring Mozambique, who attempted 23 and made only 7.

Despite dominating the paint, the Mozambicans struggled throughout the game, mostly due to long-range and mid-range shots. They finished the game with 35.1% of the field goals, while Rwandans had 42.1%.

Dieudonné Ndizeye Ndayisaba led the way with 16 points, and the other Rwandans in double figures were William Robeyns (15 points) and Ntore Habimana (14 points).

Augusto Pio da Costa Matos led Mozambique with 12 points.

Rwanda’s 2023 FIBA AfroCan group stage games finished in a 58-59 loss against lowly-ranked Morocco on Monday. As a result of finishing last in Group C, they were forced to compete against Mozambique in a classification game that determined Angola’s opponent in the quarter-finals.

The Palancas Negras had qualified for the Quarter-Finals fixture by finishing at the top of the Group B.

This is the first time Rwanda has reached this level in any continental showcase. They will face Angola in the quarterfinals tomorrow at the Kilamba Arena.

Rwanda will take on Mozambique on Wednesday, July 12, in a bid to advance to the quarterfinals of the AfroCan Games in Luanda, Angola, following the group stage conclusion on a lower note.

Rwanda suffered back-to-back defeats against Tunisia and Morocco in the 2023 AfroCan Group C games, a result that does not ensure the country of a thousand hills a straight spot in the quarter-finals. As a result, the tournament’s format requires them to compete in a classification round for the quarter-finals in knockout matches.

In Group D, the defending champions, DR Congo did not slip as they qualified straight to the quarter-finals beating Cameroon in the first game and trouncing Mozambique by a 19-point margin in the second. Mozambique beat Cameron as well, finishing second to the DRC.

Rwanda, third in Group C, will face Mozambique, the second-ranked team in Group D, on Wednesday, July 12, to decide Angola’s opponent in the quarter-final showdown slated for Thursday, July 13.

Angola topped Group B after edging out Mali and Nigeria.

Kenya Morans, the other East African participant and previous edition’s finalists, topped Group A and will rub shoulders with the winner of Cameroon and Morocco in the quarter-finals.

Tunisia, the Group C leaders, will play either Mali or Côte d’Ivoire. All games are being held at the Pavilhao Multiusos de Luanda also known as Arena do Kilamba.

All of the teams are resting today and training.

The AfroCan is a quadrennial FIBA Africa event held two years after the AfroBasket. It is intended for African players who play in Africa, with the exception of two players who play beyond the continent, and the competition’s purpose is to give local players more exposure.

Angola is hosting the second edition, following Mali’s hosting of the inaugural event in 2019.