Star point guard Jean Jacques Wilson Nshobozwabyosenumukiza has warned rivals that he and his teammates have what it takes to any side standing in their way to the 2025 AfroBasket finals.
Rwanda was pooled in Group C alongside Gabon, Senegal and Cameroon. The first three teams from the group will qualify for the 2025 FIBA Africa championship that will be held in Angola.
Nshobozwa opened up about upcoming national duty and confidently said that Rwanda will be "ready to fight for our spot in the 2025 Africa Championship (AfroBasket)” when time for November Qualifiers comes.
According to the APR star, many lessons have been taken from past experiences and the team will make sure to implement them in November.
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"With the experience that some of our guys are getting from competitions like the Basketball Africa League (BAL) and all these national competitions, people should expect something big from us," Nshobozwa told Times Sport.
Rwanda’s most recent continental tournament was the 2023 FIBA AfroCan, a showpiece that features players who don’t play outside of the continent. Rwanda won a bronze medal at the tournament.
"We&039;ve learnt what we and other teams are capable of. Any team can beat any other team. Competing in African basketball competitions has become a real battle. There are no easy games," Nshobozwa pointed out.
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He, however, acknowledges that there is room for improvement, especially defensively.
"We have everything we need to play against any team in Africa. We just need to work on our defence."
Nshobozwa, 25, averaged 12. 5 points and 2.3 assist during the AfroCan, but it was his 22 points in the 73-63 win over Angola that he utilises as an example of his contribution to the team.
"I can wait to apply all my years of experience to my national team service. I can score, I can play defence," he said.
Nshobozwa has come a long way to be in the position he currently occupies in Rwandan basketball.
From helping his country to a fifth-place finish at the 2016 FIBA U18 African Championship to becoming a household name in African basketball, Nshobozwa says he still has a lot to offer.
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"Since my time with the Rwandan youth teams, I have been working really hard to keep helping my country stay among the best on the continent."
"It hasn’t been an easy ride, but when we have a chance to qualify for a major championship there is a sense of fulfilment. There is nothing like representing your country," observed the guard.
Anyone following the growth of the game on the continent can easily attest that Rwanda has become a hub of basketball.
"It’s great having an arena like the BK Arena. It helps the growth of the game in our country.”
"As players we keep putting in work too. The sort of investment can lift us as a whole. Basketball in Rwanda is at another level now, and we hope it keep rising,” he added.