The national basketball team head coach, Cheikh Sarr, has summoned an 18-man roster of local players as preparations for the FIBA World Cup 2023 qualifiers begin to take shape.

The qualifiers are scheduled to take place from February 25-27, in Dakar, Senegal.

According to Sarr, the called-up players will start training on January 14 at Amahoro indoors stadium in Remera, Kigali.

Foreign-based players are expected to be summoned on January 31, and a residential training camp will start February 1.

In the first window qualifiers, Rwanda is in Group B along with Tunisia, Cameroon and South Sudan.

As part of the preparations, Rwanda has already lined-up a friendly game against Egypt, and more warm-up games are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Provisional roster:

Ali Kubwimana Kazingufu, Jean Jacques Wilson Nshobozwabyosenumukiza, Bello Nkanira, Aristide Mugabe, Armel Sangwe, Bruno Nyamwasa, Pascal Nkurunziza, Fiston Rutingabo, Thierry Nkundwa,  Dieudonné Ndizeye, Victoire Mutabaruka, Eric Muhayemukiza, Olivier Shyaka, Elie Kaje, Hubert Kabera Bugingo, Arnaud Nkusi and Jean Paul Ndoli.