The Uganda women’s national basketball team, the Gazelles, have embarked on their journey to Cairo, Egypt, for the FIBA Africa Zone Five Women’s Afrobasket qualifiers.
The team set off this morning for the competition, which will run from February 3 to 8 at the Hassan Mostafa Arena in Giza.
Uganda will face a stern test in a group featuring hosts and defending zone champions Egypt, 2021 winners Kenya, as well as South Sudan, Tanzania, and Burundi.
The Gazelles, who fell to Egypt in the final of the last qualifiers in Kampala, will be eager to go one step further and secure a direct ticket to the 2025 Women’s Afrobasket in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
Before departing, head coach Nick Natuhereza acknowledged the team’s improvement but admitted there is still work to be done.
He highlighted progress in offensive play and conditioning but emphasized the need for further preparation in the coming days.
Upon reaching Cairo, the gazelles will continue their training until Sunday, with the competition set to kick off on Monday.
Uganda’s last qualification for the Women’s Afrobasket came via a wildcard in 2023, alongside Angola and Guinea.
This time, the team will not only be aiming for a more assured qualification, with six spots still up for grabs for the continental showpiece, but also set their sights on avenging their previous loss to Egypt by dethroning them on their home soil.
So far, hosts Ivory Coast, defending champions Nigeria, runners-up Senegal, semi-finalists Rwanda and Mali, and Zone IV winners Cameroon have already booked their places at the 2025 Women’s Afrobasket.
