The FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women, a competition that features top clubs across the continent has rebranded to Africa Women’s Basketball League (AWBL) as part of officials’ progressive agenda to improve and upgrade it.

This year’s edition, the first ever since tournament’s rebranding, will take place in Cairo, Egypt, from December 11-19 and will attract 12 teams from different African countries among which Rwanda will be represented by REG women basketball club.

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In December 2022, FIBA Africa Central Board convened in Maputo, Mozambique and, besides reviewing past activities, approved a number of new projects involving the game of basketball on the continent.

"But there was also a consensus that the FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women needed a new identity, and so, the AWBL, which was one of the hottest topics of discussions in Maputo, came to existence,” a statement by FIBA reads in part.

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The rebranded FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women now comes into force with new eligibility rules of which each team’s roster must consist of at least eight national players and four foreign players, including two who ply their trade in any African league and two from outside of Africa.

So far, seven teams have booked their places in the 2023 AWBL while five others are expected to play regional qualifiers for the eagerly-anticipated tournament.

Sporting Alexandria, who won last year’s edition in Maputo, and Al Ahly Sporting Club will carry Egypt&039;s flag at the AWBL.

Zone V champions Kenya Ports Authority, Overdose Up Station and fellow Cameroonians Universite Douala have also secured their flights to the Egyptian capital.

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Angolan sides Primeiro de Agosto and Inter Clube have qualified for the tournament without playing their FIBA Africa Zone Six qualifier as Costa do Sol (Mozambique), UNAM Phoenix (Namibia), and UZ Sparks (Zimbabwe), failed to attend the qualifier in the Angolan capital Luanda "due to some logistical reasons."