Rwanda will host the 2027 FIBA AfroCan, giving the country its first opportunity to stage Africa’s continental basketball championship reserved for players competing in domestic leagues across the continent.
The 12-team tournament will be played at BK Arena from July 2 to 11, 2027, with Rwanda set to welcome teams from across Africa for the third edition of the competition.
The hosting decision was announced on Wednesday, with the tournament returning four years after its second edition in Luanda, Angola.
Rwanda finished third in the 2023 tournament after beating the Democratic Republic of Congo in the bronze-medal game. Morocco won the title after defeating Côte d’Ivoire in the final.
DR Congo won the inaugural AfroCan in 2019, beating Kenya in the final in Bamako, Mali.
The AfroCan is distinct from the FIBA AfroBasket, with the competition providing a continental stage specifically for players who compete in African domestic leagues.
For Rwanda, hosting the tournament will give the national team a chance to build on its 2023 bronze-medal finish while playing in front of a home crowd.
It will also add another major FIBA competition to Kigali’s growing calendar of international basketball events. BK Arena has hosted the Basketball Africa League, FIBA AfroBasket and other major continental competitions since opening in 2019.
The 2027 edition will begin with qualification matches in September 2026, with the final tournament scheduled for July next year.
The four teams that finished highest at the 2023 AfroCan — Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, Rwanda and DR Congo — were previously awarded direct qualification for the next final tournament.
Rwanda’s hosting of the AfroCan comes as the country continues to position Kigali as a destination for major international basketball events.
