Rwanda Energy Group on Monday night, departed for Dakar, Senegal, ahead of the forthcoming 2023 Basketball Africa League (BAL) Sahara Conference regular season which tips off Saturday, March 11, at Dakar Arena. The team departed Kigali International Airport at 1.00am aboard Ethiopian Airlines, as they look to settle in Dakar where they expect to do some final drills inside the arena before Conference tipoff. The Rwandan representatives is among six teams that expected to take part in the Sahara Conference group phase regular season where they will be joined by BAL defending champions US-Monastir of Tunisia, Nigeria’s Kwara Falcons, Abidjan Basket Club of Côte d'Ivoire, host club AS Douanes and Malian side Stade Malien. Dean Murray’s REG play Falcons in the opening game on March 12 before taking on Abidjan Basket Club the following day and AS Douanes on March 15. They will then face Stade Malien on March 18 before winding up the conference with clash against US-Monastir on March 20, in what promises to be one of the most entertaining encounters in the Sahara Conference. Teams in each conference will play between them, and the top four will progress to the next round of playoffs which will be played in a knockout format (quarterfinals, semifinals and finals) in Kigali, Rwanda, from May 21-27. The Sahara Conference’s games will take place at the Dakar Arena in Senegal from March 11-21 before the Nile Conference group phase follows at Hassan Mostafa Indoor Sports Complex in Cairo, Egypt, from April 26 to May 6. In 2022, REG finished at the summit of the Sahara conference, well ahead of US Monastir, and progressed to the playoffs although failed to impress in the quarter finals despite playing at home. Monastir went on to win the championship after beating Petro de Luanda in the final. Final Roster Pascal Niyonkuru, Prince Muhizi, Pitchou Manga, Ntore Habimana, Adonis Filer, Dieudonne Ndizeye, Olivier Shyaka, Steven Hagumintwari, Jean Jacques Wilson Nshobozwabyosenumukiza, Cleveland Thomas, Jean de Dieu Umuhoza and Delwan Graham.
