The U-18 national basketball team has departed for Madagascar for the FIBA Africa U18 Championship that is slated to take place from August 4-14 in Antananarivo, the capital of the island nation.

The team left Kigali International Airport on Friday morning aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight.

Teams competing in the event include Madagascar (hosts), Algeria, Angola, Benin, Egypt, Guinea, Mali, Rwanda, Senegal and Tanzania.

This is Rwanda's fifth appearance at the showpiece, having taken part in the 2010, 2012, 2016 and 2018 editions.

Format of the 2022 competition

In the qualifying round of the competition, 10 teams will be divided into two (2) groups with each group consisting of 5 teams.

Each team will play against the other teams in the group which means that each team will play games in the group.

After the group matches, the first 4 teams in each group will get tickets for the quarter-finals (1/4), which means that the last 2 teams in each group (2) will be eliminated.

These group matches will be held over a period of 5 days where there will be 4 matches per day.

In the quarter finals, the tournament will be played in single elimination matches.

In the semi-finals, two matches will be played on the same day, with the play-off matches from the 5th and 6th.

The final and the 3rd and 4th place match will be played on the last day.

The two teams that will reach the final match will automatically qualify for the African continent's participation in the FIBA UNDER 19 Basketball World Championship, which will be held in 2023.

Final player roster for the national team:

Meddy Bahizi  Ghislain Nubaha Hubert Sage Kwizera Emmanuel Kayinamura Brian Karenzi Cyiza Nshuti Dick Rutatika Sano Allan Rusizana Samy Arsene Ishimwe Mike Mugalu Prince Kabera Brillant Brave  Rutsindura