The International Basketball Federation (FIBA)/Africa drew lots for the second edition of AfroCan on Friday, June 9, scheduled for July 6 to 16 in Luanda, Angola. The Leopards of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), winner of the inaugural edition in Mali in 2019, are in group D along with the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon and the Mamba of Mozambique.
This draw seems favorable for the Congolese ambassadors, who must deliver and defend their title of champion in front of the Lions who qualified with demonstration in front of Equatorial Guinea (102-38) and Mozambique, who won their place at the end of the Zone 6 playoffs.
The Leopards of the DRC had won the first edition of this competition reserved mainly for players playing on the continent by dominating Kenya (82-61). This meeting was played on July 27, 2019 at the Palais des Sports Salamatou Maiga in Bamako, Mali. The table of the first four of the first edition was as follows: RDC, champion; Kenya, runner-up; Angola, third and Morocco, fourth.
The AfroCan 2023 competition is eagerly awaited by basketball fans in the region, and that’s a good thing as Africa has seen quality progression in basketball development in recent years, with strong representation from the continent in the NBA and Europe. . The DRC, a member of FIBA, wishes in turn to develop the discipline on its soil, by organizing training and creating clubs to promote better practice among young people.
The country has already launched a new agricultural program in partnership with DEM and Bio-Agro Business to boost agricultural production, as well as the second wave of biometric identification of state agents in Kinshasa.
However, the security situation in certain provinces such as Kongo Central and the Rwenzori region remains uncertain, with a persistent presence of armed groups which sow terror among civilians and paralyze the field of education. Another highlight is the illegal takeover of Moïse Katumbi by armed men, which raises fears of an escalation of political violence in the country.
To conclude, the DRC is a country that continues to face many challenges, but also shows signs of hope in the development of its sporting and economic culture.