APR women basketball club are set to travel to Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of Congo where they will play a couple of friendly games ahead of the forthcoming FIBA Africa Zone 5 Club Championship scheduled for October 4-11 in Kigali.

According to head coach Charles Mbazumutima, the reigning national league champions, APR, will play three games between September 25 and 26. He said the team will depart for Bukavu on September 24.

"We have agreed with two clubs from Bukavu including; Scandinavia and Etoile basketball clubs we well as Burundi’s Berco Stars,” Mbazumutima confirmed on Friday.

He noted that he is "very optimistic” about his team’s chances of winning this year’s Zone V tournament following their success in the local regular season league as well as the playoffs.

Meanwhile, the 2015 champions started preparations for the regional championship two weeks ago at Amahoro indoor stadium.

Mbazumutima revealed that, "Only four players have not yet reported because they are at school (St. Aloys Rwamagana) but will also join us on September 20 when we shall start the residential training camp.”

Rwanda will be represented by four clubs namely; APR and 2014 national league champions Ubumwe in the women category as well as Cercle Sportif de Kigali (CSK) and four-time reigning men’s league champions Espoir.