Patriots’ captain Aristide Mugabe has described his return to the national basketball team a ‘good feeling’ after he found himself in head coach Sheikh Sarr’s 18-man provisional squad for the forthcoming 2021 African Basketball Championship (Afrobasket) slated for August in Kigali. His first call-up in more than two years follows his stellar performance with Patriots during the inaugural Basketball Africa League (BAL) in May where he guided his side to the semi-finals. The 33-year-old point guard had snubbed by different coaches since 2019 but his performance at the BAL impressed new head coach Sarr who decided to put him on his pre-selection roster ahead of the much-anticipated 2021 Afrobasket. Mugabe said he wasn’t informed about being selected until he found himself on the list. “It feels good,” Mugabe told Times Sport shortly after being renamed in the national team’s pre-selection roster on Tuesday, July 6. The veteran last appeared in the national team colours in 2018 during the second round of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers. Mugabe, one of the most experienced basketball players in the country, helped Rwanda to win the 2011 Fiba Africa Zone V Championship and was part of the group that finished second two years later. In his absence, Rwanda only won once from their last six Afrobasket Qualifiers fixtures, a run that kept worrying basketball fans in Rwanda, especially when Rwanda lost all three qualifying games at home during the November window. Mugabe’s leadership and experience were key qualities that the team lacked to perform better at the tournament. Meanwhile, not appearing in the national team didn’t stop Mugabe from playing a pivotal role in leading Patriots BBC to three consecutive league titles as well as qualifying his side in the BAL 2020 finals before he guided them to the semi-finals of the tournament’s inaugural season in Kigali about two months ago. His recent impressive performance in the BAL may have pushed coach Sarr to put him on the national team’s pre-selection roster but, Mugabe will, like any other player, is aware that he has to fight for a place to make it to the final roster if he is to represent Rwanda in the 2021 Afrobasket finals which take place at Kigali Arena from August 24 to September 5. “It’s just the pre-selection. I will just go back and work hard like the other players,” he said.
