APR BBC defeated the Patriots 81-67 in Game 5 of the Rwanda Basketball League Playoff Semifinals on Sunday, June 29, at BK Arena, winning the best-of-five series 3-2 to advance to the finals for the third consecutive year.
Just like in Game 4, the defending champions dominated all four quarters and never trailed at any point in the 40 minutes.
The Patriots struggled with roster depth, managing just two points from the bench. The fourth-seeded side also failed to avenge last season’s 4-2 finals loss.
Ntore Habimana led APR with a team-high 18 points, while Bruno Nyamwasa posted a double-double for the Patriots with 20 points and 13 rebounds.
APR will now face REG in the finals for the second time in history, following a sweep in the 2023 championship. The best-of-seven series tips off on Wednesday, July 2, at BK Arena.
Diarra’s dominance in the paint helped APR beat the Patriots to force a Game 5. (Photo: IGIHE)
APR BBC stunned the Patriots 87-63 in Game 4 of the Rwanda Basketball League Playoff Semifinals, tying the best-of-five series at 2-2 and forcing a winner-take-all Game 5.
On Friday night, June 27, the back-to-back defending champions bounced back from a Game 3 loss with total control, dominating all four quarters and never trailing at any point.
With Youssoupha Ndoye sidelined, Israel Otobo was added to APR’s roster. The Patriots remained without key players Steven Hagumintwari and Cole Elliott Lamar.
The Patriots struggled in all facets of the game, unable to match APR’s intensity or execution.
Aliou Diarra led the charge for APR with a standout performance—25 points and 18 rebounds in just 29 minutes.
The deciding game is scheduled for Sunday, June 29, with the winner earning a spot in the finals to face REG BBC in a best-of-seven series.
Isiah Williams scored a game-high 22 points to help the Patriots take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five semifinal series. Photo: IGIHE
Patriots defeated APR 65-59 in a thrilling Game 3 of the Rwanda Basketball League Playoffs semifinals, moving just one win away from the finals. Meanwhile, REG BBC swept UGB 3-0 after an 89-81 victory to book their spot in the championship series.
On June 25 at BK Arena, the Patriots bounced back from Sunday’s loss to regain a 2-1 series lead. REG, on the other hand, advanced to the finals for the eighth time in the last ten years.
Despite missing key players Steven Hagumintwari and Elliott Cole Lamar, the short-handed Patriots put on a gritty performance against an APR side that welcomed back star center Aliou Diarra.
With a clear size disadvantage against Diarra and Youssoupha Ndoye, Patriots relied on perimeter shooting to counter APR’s paint dominance.
The defending champions came out strong, jumping to an 11-point lead in the opening minutes. Patriots closed the gap and trailed just 22-18 by the end of the first quarter. The second quarter saw both teams lock in defensively, with APR leading 37-33 at halftime.
However, the game turned in the third quarter. Sunny Munyandamutsa’s squad came out with renewed energy and stifling defense, holding APR to just 5 points while scoring 17 to take a 10-point lead heading into the final frame.
In the fourth quarter, APR took advantage of Putney’s foul trouble by relentlessly attacking the rim. Ndoye scored three consecutive baskets, cutting the deficit to four and forcing a Patriots timeout.
APR kept up the pressure until Cadeau de Dieu Furaha fouled out after receiving a technical foul. However, captain Olivier Kamilindi stepped in and hit a crucial three-pointer in the final minute to seal the victory.
Five Patriots players logged over 34 minutes, with the bench contributing just 9 points compared to APR’s 15.
Despite being outscored 36-24 in the paint, the Patriots were deadly from deep, hitting 9-27 three-pointers while APR struggled with just 3-26.
American guard Williams Isiah Rasheed led all scorers with 22 points (7-14 FG, 4-7 3PT) and dished out 7 assists. Raphael Putney added 17 points, while Furaha tallied 9 points and 10 rebounds.
Frank Kamndoh contributed 8 points and 11 boards.
For APR, big men Aliou Diarra and Youssoupha Ndoye both recorded double-doubles with 15 points each, collecting 11 and 10 rebounds respectively.
Earlier at the same venue, REG completed a 3-0 sweep of UGB to reach the RBL finals they last played in 2023. MVP candidate Jean Jacques Boissy starred with 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists—making all 8 of his free-throw attempts.
Boissy didn’t miss at the foul line, sinking 8-of-8. (Photo: FERWABA)
If Patriots eliminate APR in this best-of-five series, they will face REG in a best-of-seven finals—a rivalry that previously defined six consecutive championship battles between 2016 and 2022.
Game 4 between APR and Patriots is scheduled for Friday, June 27, at 7 PM at BK Arena.
Rwanda Energy Group (REG) rallied from a set down to defeat Kenya’s Chema and win the men’s title at GMT 2025. In the women’s final, it was an all-Rwandan affair as Police stunned RRA in a thrilling four-set showdown to claim the crown.
The three-day tournament, held from June 20 to 22, brought together 21 teams from Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan to honor the memory of volleyball community members killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Police, who eliminated APR in the semifinals, faced RRA, who had beaten Kepler in all-Rwandan semifinal on Saturday.
Despite appearing dominant early on, Police were challenged by RRA, who leveled the match at 1–1. However, Police responded with determination, winning the next two sets to seal the victory (15-25, 25-22, 25-15, 27-25).
Police Women Volleyball Club
Coach Christian Hatumimana’s squad delivered a “mission accomplished” performance, with strong backing from the stands—including Inspector General of Police, Felix Namuhoranye.
IGP Felix Namuhoranye celebrated Police’s triumph in winning GMT 2025.
On the men’s side, Kenya’s Chema VC—newcomers making a strong regional debut—reached the final after a shock win over compatriots KPA. They faced REG VC, who had eliminated Uganda’s Chazpir in the other semifinal.
Chema claimed the opening set swiftly (18-25), but a tactical switch by REG coach Benon Mugisha—replacing setter Sylvestre Ndayisaba with newcomer Crispin Ntanteteri—turned the tide.
Ntanteteri’s sharp connection with hitters Thon Magembo and Gideon Angiro, combined with solid blocking, helped REG dominate the next three sets (27-25, 25-22, 25-18).
Earlier on Sunday, APR (women) and KPA (men) won the third-place matches in their respective categories.
Merline Terry Tata of Police was named MVP in the women’s category, while Thon Magembo earned the men’s MVP award after standout performances in both the semifinal and final.
Merline Terry Tata received her MVP accolade from State Minister Rwego Ngarambe and FRVB President Raphael Ngarambe.REG’s Thon Magembo, MVP of GMT 2025
GMT is an annual multi-sport event dedicated to honoring members of Rwanda’s sports community killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The volleyball fraternity alone lost over 50 members and this year’s edition brought together teams from across the region in tribute and remembrance.
APR vs Patriots headlines the RBL 2025 Playoffs opener this Friday, June 20, at BK Arena. (Photo: Archive -FERWABA)
The Rwanda Basketball League (RBL) enters its thrilling playoff stage this Friday, June 20, as the top four teams APR, REG, UGB and Patriots battle for the coveted 2025 championship title.
After five intense months of regular season action, the top four teams now clash in a high-stakes playoff battle for the title.
The army side finished the regular season at the top of the standings with a dominant 15-1 record and will face familiar rivals Patriots in a best-of-five semifinal series starting at 8:30 PM local time on Friday at BK Arena.
Patriots, the only team to defeat APR this season, are out for revenge after losing 4-2 to them in last year’s finals.
The fourth-seeded team has bolstered its roster with the addition of American forward Raphael Putney, who played for Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers in BAL 2025.
Putney complements the earlier acquisition of American guard Joel Kindred, who joined the team two months ago. Together with scoring leader Cole Elliott Lamar, they aim to put an end to APR’s recent dominance.
In the other semifinal matchup, second-seeded REG will take on third-seeded UGB.
REG, the 2022 league champions, are led by BAL 2025 MVP Jean Jacques Boissy. They finished the regular season with an 11-5 record but dropped their final two games, including one against UGB.
The team will be boosted by the return of star guard Cleveland Thomas, who is coming back from a long-term injury.
UGB, the only team among the four never to have won the league, are this season’s dark horse.
Finishing the regular season with a 10-6 record, they ended with a six-game winning streak, building crucial momentum heading into the playoffs.
This season’s signings Mouhamed Doumbya and James Amotoe have been instrumental in their success, while Perriere Steven has anchored the defense impressively.
The REG vs. UGB series will tip off at 6:00 PM on Friday.
Interestingly, none of the league leaders in scoring, rebounding, assists, or blocks from the regular season will feature in the postseason, adding a unique twist to this year’s playoffs.
With the final roster adjustments made, all four teams enter the playoffs in peak condition.
The winners of the semifinals will advance to a best-of-seven championship series to determine the 2025 RBL champion, who will go on to represent Rwanda in the 2026 Basketball Africa League, set to conclude in Kigali.
The Rwanda U-16 basketball teams are back home after a successful outing at the 2025 FIBA U-16 Zone V Qualifiers in Tanzania, with the boys winning gold and the girls finishing second.
The Rwandan delegation landed at Kigali International Airport on the morning of Monday, June 16.
The regional tournament, which took place from June 12–14, featured four participating nations: Tanzania (hosts), Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda.
In the boys’ category, Rwanda emerged champions after winning two of their three games. They defeated Uganda 91–64 and outclassed hosts Tanzania 106–90 before narrowly falling to Kenya 88–82. Uganda finished second.
The Rwanda U-16 boys who struck gold at the 2025 FIBA U-16 AfroBasket Qualifiers. (Courtesy photo)
The Rwandan girls also had an impressive run, finishing second. They recorded victories over Tanzania (74–69) and Uganda (64–51), but lost to Kenya 61–53. Kenya, who clinched the top spot, have faced allegations of fielding overage players.
The Rwanda U-16 girls finished as runners-up behind Kenya at the 2025 FIBA U-16 AfroBasket Qualifiers held in Kibaha, Tanzania. (Courtesy photo)
Sharon Amito lunges to block Valentine Munezero’s shot in the thrilling final of the Rwanda Beach Volleyball National Tour III
Valentine Munezero and Benitha Mukandayisenga capped off a flawless season by winning the third and final phase of the 2025 Rwanda Beach Volleyball National Tour, completing a clean sweep of all three phases organized by the Rwanda Volleyball Federation (FRVB).
The dominant duo won the third phase with a straight-sets victory over Penelope Musabyimana and Sharon Amito on June 15 at the shores of Lake Kivu in Rubavu.
This final phase featured 58 players—13 women’s pairs and 16 men’s pairs—from eight countries, including Rwanda, and was held over three days in Rubavu District, concluding on June 15.
In the women’s category, Munezero and Benitha once again showcased their dominance. After winning the first and second phases held at King Fisher Resort in Rwesero, they overcame familiar rivals Musabyimana and Amito—whom they had also beaten in the previous phase’s final and at the Mamba Open Tournament earlier in the season.
Valentine Munezero (L) and Benitha Mukandayisenga proudly hold the trophy after their triumphant victory at the Rwanda Beach Volleyball National Tour III. (Photo: FRVB)
In the men’s competition, Ghanaian star Paul Akan continued to make waves in Rwandan beach volleyball.
Akan & Ibrahim face off against Revis & Mandela in a high-stakes clash at the Rwanda Beach Volleyball National Tour III. (Photo: FRVB)Akan and Ibrahim receive the gold medals and trophy after a standout performance at the Rwanda Beach Volleyball National Tour III. (Photo: FRVB)
Akan’s journey throughout the tour saw him adapt to different partners: he finished second in the first phase with Prince Kanamugire, won the second phase with Jahara Koita, and sealed the third-phase victory alongside Ibrahim.
Zimbabwe’s Jennifer Tembo and her Nigerian RRA teammate, Elizabeth Ijeoma claimed bronze in the women’s category, while Tanzanians David Neeke and Bure Hassim took bronze on the men’s side.
The Tanzanian pair, David Neeke (left) and Bure Hassim, competed fiercely in the tournament. (Photo: FRVB)
The Rwanda Beach Volleyball National Tour is recognized by the FIVB and awards points toward the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Ranking. With this victory, Munezero and Benitha will earn 40 points, bringing their total to 512 and elevating them to 3rd place in Africa.
However, due to the limited number of beach volleyball competitions in Rwanda and across the continent, the duo had entered this final phase ranked 275th globally and 5th in Africa—with 472 points—a significant drop from their 113th world ranking in January.
Jean Jacques Boissy, the BAL 2025 Most Valuable Player
Jean Jacques Boissy, a 25-year-old Senegalese international point guard, was named the Hakeem Olajuwon BAL Most Valuable Player for the 2025 season on June 14, after leading Libya’s Al Ahly Tripoli to their first-ever Basketball Africa League (BAL) championship. He became the first Senegalese player to both win the title and receive the league’s top individual honor.
Boissy’s standout campaign included a selection to the All-BAL Defensive First Team, along with impressive playoff averages of 18.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.
Boissy joined Al Ahly Tripoli in May from Rwanda’s REG ahead of the playoffs and quickly blended in. Coming off the bench throughout the postseason, he made a consistent impact with his energetic defense and accurate perimeter shooting.
Jean Jacques Boissy led the regular season with 23.8 points per game, guiding Al Ahly to a 6-0 record. In the playoffs, he remained impactful off the bench, adding steady scoring and strong defense.
Jean Jacques Boissy posing with the MVP, Best Three-Point Shooter, Team of the Year, and Defensive First Team of the Year awards. Courtesy photo.
Boissy also stars among the top five of BAL 2025, alongside his Al Ahly teammate Jaylen Adams, Al Ittihad’s Majok Deng, APR’s Aliou Diarra, and Petro’s Patrick Gardner.
In a first for the BAL, fans participated in MVP voting—accounting for 25% of the total—while the BAL panel contributed the remaining 75%. Boissy beat out teammate Jaylen Adams, and Petro de Luanda stars Patrick Gardner and Aboubacar Gakou for the honor.
FIBA Africa President Anibal Manave was among the distinguished guests to present Boissy with the prestigious MVP trophy during the post-final award ceremony.
In the other individual honors, Fouad Abou Chakra was named Coach of the Year after leading Al Ahly Tripoli to an impressive 8-1 record and their first-ever BAL title.
Al Ahli Tripoli players joined Fouad Abou Chakra on the court to celebrate his Coach of the Year award. (Photo: BAL)
The Manute Bol Sportsmanship Award went to Solo Diabate of Petro de Luanda, while Joel Almeida of Kriol Star received the Ubuntu Award, recognizing his contributions to community engagement and leadership in his home country, Cape Verde.
NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi presented the Ubuntu Award to Joel Almeida on June 12. (Photo: BAL)
The BAL also unveiled its All-Defensive Teams, honoring the league’s top defenders. The First Team included Jean Jacques Boissy (Al Ahly Tripoli), Obadiah Noel (APR), Caleb Agada (Al Ahly), Taefale Lenard Jr. (MBB), and Aliou Diarra (APR), who earned his second Dikembe Mutombo Defensive Player of the Year award after leading APR to their first-ever podium finish.
Aliou Diarra Fadiala had the honor of receiving his Defensive Player of the Year award from former NBA star Tracy McGrady. (Photo: BAL)
The Second Team included Childe Dundao (Petro de Luanda), Mohamed Sadi (Al Ahly Tripoli), Ivan Almeida (Kriol Star), Majok Deng (Al Ittihad), and Yossoupha Ndoye (APR), rounding out a strong defensive lineup that defined the 2025 BAL season.
Following the BAL season, Boissy is expected to return to Kigali to rejoin REG for the domestic playoffs, as they attempt to dethrone back-to-back champions APR.
Al Ahli Tripoli, BAL Season 5 Champions. (Photo: BAL)
Libyan champions Al Ahli Tripoli stunned defending champions Petro de Luanda 88-67 to win their first-ever Basketball Africa League (BAL) title on June 14 at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa. With this triumph, Al Ahli became the first team to progress all the way from the Road to BAL qualifiers, win a conference, and lift the continental crown.
Led by Coach Abou Chacra Fouad—who was also named BAL Coach of the Year—Al Ahli delivered a historic campaign, beginning in the second round of qualifiers. They went on to top the Nile Conference in Kigali before dominating the playoffs to claim Africa’s most prestigious club basketball title.
Their success was built on a mature, cohesive squad that developed chemistry through a packed schedule, which included the Road to BAL games in Tripoli, the Nile Conference in Kigali, a training camp in Istanbul, and playoff games in Pretoria.
A major factor in their triumph was Al Ahli’s smart scouting and roster management. They began the season with experienced players like Michael Eric and the first-ever BAL MVP, Walter Hodge.
Throughout the campaign, the club made timely reinforcements—bringing in Jean Jacques Boissy and Jaylen Adams before the regular season in Kigali, and adding Fabian White Jr. ahead of the playoffs to replace Deon Thompson.
These additions paid off in the playoffs. Al Ahli showcased disciplined, structured basketball, maintaining composure even in tough moments.
They played under the radar against Al Ittihad in seeding games, cruised Kriol Star—whom they had also beaten in the Road to BAL—and eliminated Rwanda’s APR, who they had already defeated twice in the regular season, to reach the final.
In the championship game, six Al Ahli Tripoli players scored in double figures: Assem Marei (22 points, 19 rebounds), Fabian White Jr. (18), Caleb Agada (12), Mohamed Sadi (11), Jaylen Adams (11), and Jean Jacques Boissy (10).
An emotional captain Sadi after guiding Al Ahli from the Road to BAL to glory (photo: BAL)
Marei, the 2.06m, 113kg Egyptian center, dominated with a game-high 22 points and a record-setting 19 rebounds—eight of them offensive—earning the highest efficiency rating in the final.
Petro de Luanda saw double-digit performances from Childe Dundao (11), Patrick Gardner (11), Rigoberto Mendoza (10), and Aboubacar Gakou (12), but were outmatched by Al Ahli’s balanced and relentless attack.
After the game, Al Ahli Tripoli shooting guard Nasseim Badrush credited the team’s unity as the key to their title run.
“The key factor to our BAL success was our togetherness,” he said.
Following the final, Al Ahli Tripoli players received gold medals, the championship trophy, and—making history—a set of championship rings, awarded for the first time in Africa. In the individual awards ceremony, Senegalese point guard Jean Jacques Boissy was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
Jean Jacques Boissy (#5) celebrates with Al Ahli teammates at the final whistle. (Photo: BAL)
In their BAL debut, Al Ahli Tripoli not only showcased the strength of Libyan basketball—marking a second consecutive final appearance by a Libyan club—but also earned the honor of representing Africa at the upcoming FIBA Intercontinental Cup.
Al Ahli Tripoli eliminated APR in the BAL 5 semifinal, thanks to strong perimeter defense. (Photo courtesy)
Libyan giants Al Ahli Tripoli defeated Rwanda’s APR BBC for the third time this season, eliminating them in the semifinals and crushing their dream of winning the Basketball Africa League (BAL) in season 5.
Al Ahli secured an 84–71 victory in the first BAL semifinal held on June 11 at SunBet Arena in Pretoria.
The Rwandan army team came into the game seeking revenge after two regular-season losses to the Libyan champions and hoping to become the first Rwandan team to reach a BAL final.
However, head coach Fouad Abou Chacra’s side seemed to have thoroughly analyzed APR’s playing style, deploying a tight defensive strategy that stifled APR’s offense.
Despite trailing 17–18 after the first quarter, Al Ahli tightened their defense in the second, limiting APR to just 11 points—a postseason low—taking a 36–29 lead into halftime.
Coach James Maye’s APR team responded in the third quarter with renewed energy, managing to overturn the deficit and enter the final quarter with a slim 57–55 lead. But just like in the second period, Al Ahli dominated the final quarter, extinguishing APR’s hopes of advancing to the championship game.
The Libyan side closed out the game with a commanding 84–71 win, showcasing superiority across almost every statistical category. Although APR had a slightly better field goal percentage (48% to Al Ahli’s 46%), the Libyans were lethal from behind the arc, hitting 12 of 29 three-point attempts compared to APR’s 4 of 18.
Al Ahli’s strong perimeter defense limited APR’s shot attempts, while they also dominated in rebounds, assists, steals, points in the paint, points off turnovers, and bench contributions.
Forward Fabian Christopher White Jr. led all scorers with 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting while playing the full 40 minutes. APR’s standout performer was Anunwa “Nuni” Omot, who finished with 22 points.
This marks APR’s third loss to Al Ahli Tripoli this season, following two defeats during the Nile Conference games in Kigali.
In the second semifinal, defending champions Petro de Luanda outclassed Al Ittihad 96–74 to reach their second consecutive BAL final.
The final is scheduled for Saturday, June 14, at 4 PM (Pretoria time), while the bronze medal game will feature APR versus Al Ittihad on Friday, June 13, at 7 PM, both at SunBet Arena.
