The national basketball team is set to return to action next month as it participates in the FIBA World Cup 2026 African Qualifiers, scheduled to take place in Tunisia from November 27-30. The qualifiers come at a time of transition following the departure of Cheikh Sarr as head coach. His former assistant, Yves Murenzi, has taken over on an interim basis. He will be assisted by three former national team stars: the legendary Kenny Gasana, along with Aristide Mugabe, and Sunny Niyomugabo. ALSO READ: Who’s who on Rwanda’s new coaching staff for FIBA World Cup qualifiers Rwanda will compete in Group C alongside Nigeria, Guinea, and Tunisia, while Group A features Cameroon, South Sudan, Libya, and Cape Verde. As preparations continue, Times Sport caught up with team captain Dieudonné Ndizeye, who shared his thoughts on the coaching changes and the integration of new young players. Read the excerpts: 1. Tell us about the new technical staff. How do you feel about the changes? I think the transition will be smooth because we’ve already worked with these coaches before and achieved success under Cheikh Sarr’s time. Yves Murenzi, for example, was our head coach during the AfroCAN in 2023 and Kenny Gasana was his assistant (Rwanda won bronze at the tournament in Angola). ALSO READ: PHOTOS: 2023 FIBA AfroCAN: Rwanda win bronze after DR Congo victory For players like me, Jean Jacques Wilson Nshobozwabyosenumukiza, Ntore Habimana, and others, it’s not something new, we’ve worked with them before. And for the coaches, it’s also familiar because they already know us and how we play. 2. Some of the new coaches were once your teammates. Does that give you an advantage? Working with former teammates makes communication and understanding much easier. I’ve played with guys like Kenny and Aristide. They know my strengths and weaknesses very well. They know where I can be most effective, and the same goes for players like Steve Hagumintwari or Cadeau de Dieu Furaha. Unlike new coaches who might need time to study players, these ones already know how to use the players’ skills in the best way. 3. Did you ever imagine these former teammates would become coaches? I didn’t expect Gasana to take up coaching. He’s a quiet guy, not one to talk a lot. But he’s always led by example, showing leadership through his actions more than words. On the other hand, I could see Mugabe becoming a coach. He was very vocal, always giving advice both on and off the court. As for Niyomugabo, we played together at Patriots, and I didn’t immediately see coaching qualities in him back then. But I think that as he matured and gained more experience, he developed those traits. 4. What did you learn from Coach Cheikh Sarr during his time with the team? Coach Sarr was a man of details. He paid close attention to every small aspect of the game like positioning and movement. Details are important in basketball. ALSO READ: Basketball: APR sign small forward Ndizeye He also instilled a fearless, winning mentality in us. Even when we faced big teams like Angola, he made us believe we could win. Injuries or big opponents didn’t matter; we always went in with confidence. That strong heart is something I learned from him. 5. As a senior player, how do you plan to help the younger players who have been called up? Just as we once had older players like Gasana and Mugabe guiding us, it’s now our turn to lead. Leadership means setting the right example. We want to make the young players feel comfortable and welcome in the team. 6. You recently returned from playing in Morocco. What’s the difference between the local and international leagues? Playing abroad is different because you’re considered a foreign player and there’s pressure to perform at a higher level. That kind of pressure is good; it pushes you to give more. Now I have signed for APR, but the competition is strong and expectations are high. As captain of the national team, people expect good performances on club level, both in the local league and in the Basketball Africa League.
