Point guards Aristide Mugabe and Sedar Segamba will not play the 2021 African Basketball Championship (Afrobasket) after being left out of Rwanda’s final squad for the tournament. The 12-man roster was released on Sunday, August 22, just two days before the competition’s kick-off at Kigali Arena on Tuesday. UPDATE: Head coach Cheikh Sarr has announced his final 12-man roster that he will use ahead of the FIBA #Afrobasket2021 finals which kick off next week in Kigali. Rwanda faces DR Congo in opening game on Tuesday, August 24, at @kigali_arena Tip off: 18:00 CAT pic.twitter.com/lr3HhHiRRs — The New Times (Sports) (@TimesSportRW) August 22, 2021 Mugabe, 33, and Sagamba, 30, who both feature for local side Patriots, were instrumental as the club reached the semi-finals of the inaugural Basketball Africa League (BAL) finals in May in Kigali. Hosts Rwanda will begin their quest for a first Afrobasket title against neighbours DR Congo in Group A on August 24, before facing Angola and Cape Verde on August 26 and 28, respectively. The top five teams, at the end of the tournament on September 5, will automatically qualify to represent Africa at the 2023 Fiba Basketball World Cup. Meanwhile, Rwanda beat Egypt 95-92 in the two sides’ final build-up game at Kigali Arena. Rwanda’s final roster: Jean Jacques Wilson Nshobozwabyosenumukiza, Ntore Habimana, Steven Hagumintwari, Armel Sangwe, Axel Mpoyo, Dieudonné Ndayisaba Ndizeye, Olivier Shyaka, Elie Kaje, William Robeyns, Emile Galois Kazeneza, Prince Chinenye Ibeh and Kenneth Gasana.
