Rwanda is assessing the feasibility of hosting three groups in the qualifiers for the 2021 African Basketball Championships (AfroBasket) finals following a request from FIBA Africa.

Initially, Rwanda was only supposed to host qualifiers for Group D, in which it belongs along with Nigeria, Algeria and Mali. The qualifiers get underway in November.

According to officials at Rwanda Basketball Federation (Ferwaba), FIBA Africa has given Rwanda a vote of confidence to also host Group A and B qualifiers.

"Regarding the pandemic situation and the lack of sanitary safety in other countries, we would like to benefit from Rwanda's good policy of management to fight successfully the Covid19,” reads part of the letter Fiba Africa addressed to Ferwaba.

"In framework of the AfroBasket 2021 Qualifiers to be played in November, we would like to check with you the possibility for you to host other groups of competition in your venue.”

"As you are hosting Group D, we need to know under which conditions you can host 1 or 2 others groups – Pool A and B.”

Should Ferwaba and the Ministry of Sports agree to the request, the qualifiers to be held at Kigali Arena will grow from four countries to twelve, with 18 games in a duration of five days.

There are five groups of four in the qualifiers for the continent’s biggest basketball event, and the top three in each pool will secure tickets to the finals tournament – also to be held in Kigali, Rwanda, from August 17 to 29, 2021.

However, Rwanda will only use the qualifiers as preparations, having already confirmed its automatic ticket as the host nation. 

Qualifiers Groups:

Group A: Tunisia, Central African Republic, DR Congo and Madagascar

Group B: Senegal, Angola, Mozambique and Kenya

Group C: Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea and Equatorial Guinea

Group D: Nigeria, Mali, Rwanda and Algeria

Group E: Morocco, Egypt, Uganda and winner of Zone 3