The Zone 5 Under-18 Basketball Championship, the qualifying tournament for the 2026 FIBA Africa U18 Championship, has been postponed by one day after Kenya’s national team and several referees were delayed in arriving in Cairo, Egypt.
The tournament was originally scheduled to tip off on Thursday, July 23, but will now begin on Friday, July 24.
A technical meeting for participating teams was held on Thursday, with Rwanda represented in both the boys’ and girls’ competitions.
Rwanda’s squads are now at full strength after players who had remained at home to complete their national secondary school examinations arrived in Cairo ahead of the tournament.
Seven teams will compete in the boys’ tournament: Rwanda, South Sudan, Egypt, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Somalia. The girls’ competition will feature Rwanda, Tanzania, Egypt and Kenya.
The tournament will determine the teams that qualify for the 2026 FIBA Africa Under-18 Championship, scheduled to be held later this year in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
