Egyptian gamer Anas Badr fought back through the losers’ bracket to win the 2026 SportsBiz Africa EA SPORTS FC 26 title at BK Arena on Sunday, September 13.

Badr defeated fellow Egyptian Youssef Sherif 6-4 in the final to cap a difficult run to the continental crown after an earlier defeat had sent him into the lower bracket.

The championship featured 32 players competing on PlayStation 5 for a share of a $10,000 prize pool. The double-elimination format gave players a second chance after their first defeat in the knockout stage.

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Badr made full use of that lifeline.

After losing to fellow Egyptian Moaaz Ahmed, better known in gaming circles as Xmozaa, earlier in the knockout stage, Badr dropped into the losers’ bracket, where another defeat would have ended his campaign.

Instead, he fought his way through the lower bracket before overcoming Sherif 6-4 in the final to claim the continental title.

"The experience was so good. The tournament and the event were so high level. Even the players, every game was tough,” Badr said after his victory.

He said his route through the losers’ bracket underlined the level of competition he faced on his way to the title.

"I won from the losers’ bracket, not from the winners’ bracket, after losing to a great player like Moaaz,” he said.

"I hope to come again next year.”

Badr’s victory also ended the reign of South Africa’s Zaid April, who arrived in Kigali as the defending champion after winning the inaugural SportsBiz Africa Esports Cup in 2025.

Zaid lost 4-2 to Sherif before dropping into the losers’ bracket, where Badr eventually defeated him 4-1 to end his title defence.

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Rwandans bow out early

Despite competing on home soil, none of Rwanda’s four representatives—Praise Stevens Nyamwasa, Sami Mohamed Yasin, Tresor Irasubiza and Franklin Gacinya—made it past the group stage.

Nyamwasa, competing internationally for the second time, said Rwanda still has work to do to close the gap with the continent’s leading gamers, pointing to the need for greater investment in the local esports scene.

"We still need efforts, to be honest. It’s about the effort, like the financial investments and everything that needs to be built,” he said.

Looking beyond this year’s competition, SportsBiz Africa Project Manager Bridgite Umutoni said organisers are considering expanding future editions to include NBA 2K, VALORANT, Call of Duty, Mortal Kombat and other titles.

"We want to increase opportunities, increase accessibility and pathways into the esports and gaming industry,” Umutoni said.

That broader approach was also reflected in this year’s Game Developers Garage, which brought together more than 40 participants from about eight universities in Rwanda to explore opportunities in game development.

Badr’s triumph brought the EA SPORTS FC 26 competition to a close, a day after Morocco’s Anass Moussa won the inaugural eFootball Mobile title by defeating Madagascar’s Sedra in a penalty shootout.