The national U-18 boys’ basketball team will soon be embarking on early preparations for the upcoming 2022 FIBA Africa U-18 Championship, for which they qualified last week.

The team earned its ticket to the continental showpiece after putting up an impressive performance in regional qualifiers that unfolded in Kampala, Uganda, where they topped the mini-competition that also attracted neighbouring countries including Uganda and Tanzania.

The boys have since returned home and according to Yves Murenzi, their head coach, they will soon start preparations. The African championships are scheduled for August 4-14 in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

"We took a week of rest during this CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) period, but we expect to start our preparations after it,” he told Times Sport on Thursday.

He added that they are looking at adding some new players to the roster, and will likely play some buildup – local and international – games in a bid to strongly prepare for the continental championship.

Times Sport understands that the team is considering a training camp and warm-up games in North Africa.