The Benjamin Mkapa Indoor Court, in Tanzania will hustle and bustle with the activity from the FIBA AfroCan 2023 Zone 5 Qualifiers. The regional qualifying event kicks off Saturday, June 17 and will run until Friday, June 23. Five teams will battle for the lone ticket available that will see them head to Luanda, Angola for the Final Phase of the quadrennial tournament due to take place from July 8-16. ALSO READ: Rwanda to participate in Afro-CAN qualifiers After months of preparation and anticipation, the time has finally come for Burundi, Eritrea, Rwanda, South Sudan and Tanzania to prove who deserves a spot at the continental high table. What is at stake? So much for the qualifying country, who will join the likes of DR Congo, Kenya, Angola, Mozambique, Morocco and Cameroon in July. The winner of the Zone 5 Qualifiers will be added to Group C, alongside Morocco and the winner of Zone 1 qualifier billed for next week in Algiers. Two countries looking to shine bright Two countries, particularly, will aim at stealing the limelight. The first one is South Sudan, the continent’s youngest nation. Earlier this year, South Sudan claimed a spot at the FIBA World Cup. And the local players would like to prove that this is no fluke and that South Sudan are among the best basketball nations on the continent. Tanzania, on the other hand, will play with quite double pressure on their shoulders. First, as the host country, they are expected to perform. And second, they will try to do just like their elders, who last qualified for a major continental tournament some 49 years ago. Rwanda are also a team to watch. Teams from the Western African nation regularly rub shoulders with other African teams and can be considered as dangerous. The squad comprises some of their senior players such as veteran shooting guard and captain Kenny Gasana. At the helm of the team is Senegal's Cheik Sarr, who is on a mission toward greatness. As for Burundi and Eritrea, they are yet to appear at a continental showdown, being currently on a learning curve. The first game of the day will see Burundi and South Sudan match up today ahead of the battle between hosts Tanzania and Eritrea.
