Rwandan star shooting guard Kenneth Gasana has joined Bangui Sporting Club, a Central African Republic outfit, ahead of the Basketball Africa league (BAL) qualifiers.
Scheduled to take place between October 12 and 30, the qualifiers will feature 20 teams from various African countries which will tussle it out across four African cities.
The teams will be divided into four groups, each consisting of five teams.
Gasana’s Bangui Sporting Club is in Group B which will play in Yaounde, Cameroon, from October 12 to 14.
Gasana, 37, is a two-time BAL participant having played for Rwandan sides Patriots and Rwanda Energy Group (REG) during the 2021 and 2022 editions of BAL, respectively.
He is an immensely experienced player who featured for various local and foreign clubs, as well as the Rwandan national team.
Gasana also previously played for Arab clubs like Morocco’s Chabab Rif Al Hoceima and Ittihad Tanger in 2010 and 2018, respectively, as well as Gezira in Egypt for the 2014–15 season.
He also played for Burundi’s New Stars and Al Bahrain, a Bahraini basketball club.
In their first-ever road to BAL participation, Bangui Sporting Club have built a team competitive enough in their bid for a place in the BAL season.
Cameroonian Jean Claud Ntep is at the helm of the Bangui-based team and will count on Alpha Mane as assistant coach.
New signings include Gasana, Max Kouguere (CAR), Cameroonian Patrick Nguepy and the US duo of Matthew Binder and William Claiborn.
At first glance, Bangui Sporting Club have the assets to cause damage in Yaounde.
"Our main objective is qualification for the Elite 16,” noted the team's President Cyrille Damango, a former CAR international player who retired in 2016.
Bangui Sporting Club’s full Squad:
Samedi Tanguy, Binder Matthew, Kenneth Gasana, Mbombo Francky, Kouguere Max, Nambaï Methson, Yerimo Hervé, Kabylo Bereke Rodrigue, Dondon Konamabaye Elie, Guéret Gandao Aimé, Lenguewane Morel, Perriere Steven, Matsouka Babaye Malik, Nguepy Dongmo Jean Patrick and Claiborne William.