Rwanda heads into the final AfroBasket 2025 Qualifiers window with a 1-2 record, needing at least one win to advance. Coach Cheikh Sarr’s squad, boosted by four new additions, remains confident as they prepare for tough Group C matchups.
Last Updated on
February 17, 2025
Coach Cheikh Sarr has retained most of the lineup that represented Rwanda in the November window of the AfroBasket 2025 Qualifiers, making slight adjustments with the inclusion of four new players. Lars Licken Ishimwe, Bruno Shema, Axelle Mpoyo, and Ntore Habimana, who missed last year's action, have been added to the squad.
As Rwanda prepares for the final qualification window from Friday, 21 February to Sunday, 23 February in Morocco, they enter with a 1-2 record. Coach Sarr's side will need at least one win in Group C—where they face Senegal, Cameroon, and Gabon—to advance, and the tactician remains confident.
Already in Morocco, Rwanda played a warm-up friendly against the tournament hosts, losing 89-75. William Robeyns led the East Africans in scoring with 16 points. They will face Morocco again on 18 February as they fine-tune their game plan ahead of the three-day competition.
“We are happy to get some players back. Having Habimana, Mpoyo, and Bruno back. The team is good, but for a few adjustments, we will make after we play the friendlies. We have some issues on the paint, but we need to work on it," Sarr told The New Times after a four-day camp in Kigali ahead of their trip to Rabat.
Rwanda began their campaign with an 81-59 loss to Senegal, followed by a 70-59 defeat to Cameroon, before bouncing back with a 90-63 victory over Gabon to keep their qualification hopes alive. Currently third in the standings with five points, Rwanda is determined to maintain its position as the top three teams from each group secure a spot at AfroBasket 2025, set to take place in Angola this August.
"Every team has a weakness, but we are working on that. We expect the team to get better after the friendly games. These matches are helping us work on our defense, rebounding, and boxing out. We also needed to work on our transition defense and I believe the team will be ready,” Sarr continued.
Rwanda is aiming for its seventh appearance in the African competition and its third in a row. In its last two participations, Rwanda finished tenth, with its best placement being ninth in 2015. If the November window statistics are any indication, coach Cheikh Sarr will rely on the talents of William Robeyns, Cadeaux de Dieu Furaha, and Antino Alvarezes Jackson Jr., who led the team in points, rebounds, and assists, respectively.
[Photography Courtesy of FIBA]
.png)
