Egypt confirmed as Zone Five Women’s Afrobasket qualifiers host

Kenya Lionesses, the national women’s basketball team, are set to do battle from 3 to 8 February at the Hassan Mostafa Arena in Giza, Egypt where six teams will clash in the FIBA Africa Zone Five Women’s Afrobasket qualifiers.

The 2025 Women’s AfroBasket, the 29th edition of the tournament, is set to be held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast with the top four teams booking a ticket for one of the qualifying tournaments for the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup.

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The Kenya side, up against hosts Egypt, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and Burundi will look to book a ticket and make a return to the continental showpiece after missing out on the 2023 edition hosted in Kigali. Kenya finished third in the 2023 qualifiers hosted in Kampala, finishing behind Egypt and Uganda.

So far, six nations led by the hosts have qualified for the African competition. The others are reigning champions Nigeria, Senegal, who finished second in the 2023 edition of the tournament, bronze medalists Mali and Rwanda who finished fourth.

Cameroon became the first nation to join the five after beating DR Congo in a two-game series played in the first window in August where the two nations were the only ones to compete in Zone Four.

Kenya’s best performance in the African competition was silver in a 9-team competition back in 1993 where the East Africans lost to powerhouse Senegal 89-43. In the 1997 edition, the team made a return to place fourth.

Four subsequent appearances have seen the side struggle to put up such performances with the best placing being ninth in 2021 when the side was under the tutelage of veteran tactician George Mayienga.

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