Rwandan envoy to Senegal, Jean-Pierre Karabaranga, has made a promise to Rwanda Energy Group (REG) players that Rwandans living in Senegal will be cheering on and supporting them during their entire Basketball Africa League regular season campaign. The Rwandan representatives are among six teams competing in the Sahara Conference group phase regular season which kicks off Saturday, March 11 and runs through March 21 in Dakar, Senegal. They were drawn in the conference alongside 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 men train daily at the NBA Academy located in Saly while they camp at the Palm Beach hotel which is nearby their training base. After Thursday’s session, Karabaranga visited the team at the hotel and assured the players that Rwandans and friends living in Senegal are ready to support them throughout the tournament. We promise to support you in this competition so you finish at the top of the Sahara conference just like you did last season. This is how we want it and we support you said Karabaranga. Dean Murray’s REG play Kwara Falcons in the opening game on Sunday, 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.
