Kigali has this week become the epicenter of African youth basketball, one of key activities standing out at the 2025 Giants of Africa Festival which is underway at BK Arena from July 28 to August 2. The tournament has attracted together 320 promising basketball players from 20 African countries, including host nation Rwanda. The teams are competing through a round-robin format which will determine which teams and individual players advance to the finals and All-Star Games. Times Sport looks at top prospects to watch at the ongoing tournament. Boys Males Mamadou Traoré (Mali) At just 18, Traoré already proved his potential on the global stage when he was playing for Mali at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup. He played in all six of Mali’s games, contributing across the board with 30 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists throughout the tournament. Ajak Aguer Akech (South Sudan) Ajak Aguer Akech has emerged as one of the most promising players in African youth basketball. Standing at 2.05m, the South Sudanese forward made waves at the 2024 East Africa U18 Challenge, where he averaged an impressive 22 points and 11 rebounds per game. The 17-year-old’s dominance on both ends of the floor also earned him top performer honours at the 2024 FIBA Africa U16 Regional Youth Camp. Akech is already projected as a potential pick in the 2028 NBA Draft. ALSO READ: Masai Ujiri challenges African youth to dream bigger Dylan Lebson Kayijuka (Rwanda) Kayijuka, 18, is quickly becoming one of Rwanda’s most exciting young guards. Based in Canada, the dynamic point guard made a statement at the 2024 FIBA U18 AfroBasket, averaging 17.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. His standout performance came against host nation South Africa, where he erupted for 25 points and 14 rebounds, showing his ability to dominate as both a scorer and rebounder. Before committing to Carleton University’s Ravens in Ottawa, Kayijuka honed his skills at Canada Topflight Academy, a renowned institution for developing elite basketball talent. Rayane Solhi (Morocco) Standing at 1.98m, Rayane Solhi was the driving force behind Morocco’s historic campaign at the 2024 FIBA U18 AfroBasket, where they achieved their best-ever finish by placing fourth overall. Solhi averaged 18.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game, becoming the tournament’s second leading scorer while logging a tournament-high 35.8 minutes per game. Williams Sean Mwesigwa (Rwanda) The 18-year-old shooting guard was among the individual accolade winners at the 2024 FIBA U18 AfroBasket. Based in the United States, Mwesigwa claimed both the Best Scorer and Best Three-Point Shooter awards after averaging 20.7 points per game and helping Rwanda reach the quarterfinals. He also captained the Rwanda team at the 2023 U16 AfroBasket, averaging 18.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. ALSO READ: Giants of Africa festival grand opening in pictures Girls Oummou Koumaré (Mali) Oummou Koumaré cemented her place in African basketball history when he was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket, where she led Mali to an undefeated 6–0 championship run, securing their ninth continental title. Koumaré averaged 22.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. Her defining moment came in the gold medal game against Nigeria, where she delivered 31 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 steals, sealing a commanding 76–56 victory. Brigitte Nibishaka (Rwanda) Nibishaka, 19, played a key role for Rwanda at the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket in South Africa. She also had a standout season in 2024, earning Most Valuable Player honors after leading the scoring charts in the domestic league with an impressive 501 points. Nibishaka made the leap to professional basketball right after graduating from Groupe Scolaire Marie Reine de Rwaza, signing with APR Women’s Basketball Club. Andrea Serena Agoume Yakana (Cameroon) Eighteen-year-old Andrea Serena Agoume Yakana was instrumental in Cameroon’s historic debut at the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket, where the team claimed bronze. The athletic small forward brought energy and scoring depth to a squad that finished third out of 12 nations—a milestone moment for Cameroon women’s basketball. Her standout performance came in the third-place playoff game, where Cameroon outlasted Uganda to secure the podium finish. ALSO READ: Kagame explains inspiration behind Kigali’s sports city Maxine Modesta Anyango (Uganda) Anyango has quickly emerged as one of Uganda’s brightest basketball talents. The 17-year-old earned MVP honors at the 2023 FIBA Zone V U18 Women’s AfroBasket Qualifiers, where she helped Uganda qualify for the continental finals. At the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket in Pretoria, she averaged 10.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2 assists per game, playing a vital role in Uganda’s best-ever fourth-place finish. Lina Masrour (Morocco) Seventeen-year-old Lina Masrour emerged as a vital player for Morocco during the 2024 U18 Women’s AfroBasket. Over the course of five games, she averaged 14.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, with an efficiency rating of 9.8. Masrour also played a crucial role in Morocco’s historic qualification for the AfroBasket finals during the U18 Zone 1 qualifiers, delivering a standout performance against Algeria with 19 points and 4 rebounds to secure a breakthrough victory.
