The 2026 FIBA Intercontinental Cup is simply 5 days away, with the match set to tip off in Beijing, China, on September 22.
Rwandan powerhouse RSSB Tigers will signify Africa after successful the 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL) title in Kigali in Could.
The match will run from September 22 to 27, with six groups divided into two teams of three.
The highest two groups in every group will advance to the semi-finals, with the first-placed group in every group dealing with the second-placed group from the opposite group. The 2 bottom-placed groups will meet within the fifth-place recreation.
The champion shall be topped on September 27.
How did they get right here?
African golf equipment have featured within the FIBA Intercontinental Cup since 2022, following the launch of the BAL in 2021.
Zamalek of Egypt, US Monastir of Tunisia and Al Ahly of Egypt all reached the highest 4 earlier than Al Ahli of Libya completed third in 2025, behind Unicaja of Spain and the NBA G League United of the USA.
RSSB Tigers secured their place on this yr's match after successful the 2026 BAL title.
They completed prime of the Kalahari Convention in the course of the BAL common season, successful 4 of their 5 video games to enter the playoffs because the third seed.
Within the playoff quarter-finals, they scored 193 factors throughout two video games towards FUS Rabat earlier than beating Al Ahly 106-97 within the semi-finals.
The ultimate went right down to the wire, with Tigers edging Petro de Luanda 90-88 to win their first BAL title. They averaged 97.3 factors per recreation within the playoffs.
Who’re the gamers to look at?
Head coach Henry Mwinuka has a number of key gamers from the BAL title-winning squad, together with Ntore Habimana, considered one of Rwanda's main guards. Habimana averaged 13.3 factors, 6.0 assists and 5.3 rebounds per recreation at FIBA AfroBasket 2025 and has gained 4 Rwanda Basketball League titles.
Axel Mpoyo and Dieudonné Ndizeye are two different Rwandan gamers within the squad. Mpoyo averaged 16.7 factors and 5.7 rebounds per recreation in the course of the FIBA AfroBasket 2025 Qualifiers, whereas Ndizeye averaged 13.0 factors throughout 5 video games within the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 African Qualifiers.
BAL 2026 MVP Craig Randall II can also be again. He averaged 36.1 factors per recreation in the course of the BAL season, together with a career-high 54 factors in April.
Teafale Lenard, one other key participant within the championship run, returns after averaging 19.2 factors, 5.0 rebounds and a couple of.8 assists for Tigers final season.
Johnny Hamilton provides measurement to the frontcourt. The two.13m has had three seasons through which he averaged greater than two blocks per recreation.
Tyler Bey brings worldwide expertise after enjoying in Israel for Ness Ziona and Hapoel Haifa, the place he competed in the course of the 2022-23 and 2024-25 seasons.
Jonathan Galloway, who can also be 2.13m tall, completes the principle frontcourt rotation. He has performed in Denmark, Croatia, Switzerland, Türkiye, Finland, Czechia, Cyprus, Kosovo, Venezuela and Rwanda.
