Team Profile: Tanzania is chasing history! After 28 years away from AfroBasket, Coach Shomari’s squad is ready to make waves in Egypt. Can they shake up Zone 5 and put Tanzanian women’s basketball back on the map?
Last Updated on
January 31, 2025
The East African nation has made only one continental appearance, in 1997, in Kenya for the Africa Championship, where it finished eighth. It has since been absent from the continental stage but is actively working to change that.
Tanzania has been striving to establish itself as a basketball powerhouse on the continent. It has taken several steps toward this goal, including hosting the WBLA Zone 5 pre-qualifiers in Zanzibar in 2024. The aim is to bring as much attention to women’s basketball as it has to men’s, with the hope of producing household names like Hashim Thabeet and Ally Atiki.
Their coaching staff assembled for the upcoming pre-qualifiers in Egypt next week: Kablolah Shomari (head coach), Elizabeth Masenyi (assistant coach), and Shomari Alimasi (assistant coach). Although little has been documented about the coaching staff and their experience, they remain confident in their chances of qualification.
Shomari will be up against seasoned coaches with impressive resumes, such as Egypt’s head coach, Ehab El-Afly. He faces a challenging task, and with the competition only days away, he has yet to announce his 12-woman roster.
The Basketball Association of Tanzania has made several notable improvements to its basketball structure in recent years by revitalizing the national league and various national tournaments. Some of these improvements include successfully brokering a deal with BetPawa Tanzania, ensuring that players and four technical staff members are paid for every game they play and win. Additionally, they have been actively involved in youth development by sending teams to junior competitions such as the U16 AfroBasket.
In recent years, the domestic league has also drawn attention to teams like Vijana Basketball Club, which hosted the Zone 5 pre-qualifiers for the WBLA. This tournament showcased emerging Tanzanian talent, notably Witness Mapunda, who averaged 8.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game despite her team not advancing far in the competition.
She also had teammates who performed well, including Noella Uwandameno (8.2 points and 5.4 rebounds), Anamary Cyprian (7.2 points and 4.1 rebounds), and Ummul-Kulthum Yussuf (7 points and 3.2 rebounds) off the bench. Their recent exposure to continental basketball could make them key players for the team.
Coach Shomari has been tasked with revitalizing basketball in his nation and restoring hopes of gaining recognition on the continent. It has been 28 years since their last continental appearance, and they are determined to change that in Egypt.
[Photography Courtesy of FIBA]
