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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
SOUTH Africa have pulled out of the Afro-basket/AfroCan qualifiers set to get underway in Bulawayo next week.
Basketball Union of Zimbabwe (Buz) president Joe Mujuru confirmed the latest development.
“We are advised by the Fiba office. We are disappointed they would have brought value to the competition. We are yet to learn of the reasons behind the decision but we are disappointed that we will not have them in Bulawayo,” said Mujuru.
Five nations and 10 teams will converge for the Women’s Afro-Basket and Men’s AfroCan qualifiers slated for February 20 to 28 at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair.
Malawi, Mozambique, Angola, Zambia, and hosts Zimbabwe will take part in the competitions, which are expected to run concurrently during the week-long basketball extravaganza.
Angola, Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe will compete in the Women’s Afro-Basket Zone Six Qualifiers, with the finals of the quadrennial tournament penciled in for July 28 to August 6 in Kigali, Rwanda.
In the men’s AfroCan Zone Six Qualifiers, Zimbabwe will slug it out with Malawi, Zambia, and Mozambique.
The tournament, which is still relatively new, is a national team competition for players based in Africa. It is also specifically for nations that will not compete in the World Cup African Qualifiers.
Four teams, the Democratic Republic Congo, Kenya, Angola and Morocco have already qualified for the finals of the second edition of the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) AfroCan by virtue of reaching the semi-finals of the last edition that was held in Bamako, Mali.
The host nation and dates for the 2023 Fiba AfroCan are yet to be determined.
Zimbabwe provisional squads
Men
Dyvonne Pfachi, Chris Tsvarai, Andile Chirinda, Tawanda Chitsinde, Tatenda Tswatswa, Tanaka Ndiyara, Irvine Manzini, Jordan Davids, Agrippa Masvisvi, Innocent Zhomwa, Tatenda Maturure, Noah Penduka, Manoah Ntini, Ben Nyatanga, Dexter Nganga, Davison Chivero, Panashe Kuduwa, Shonhiwa Ushe, Vitalis Chikoko, Alvin Madzedze
Women
Helena Machivaire, Nyasha Katsatste, Yollanda Matayataya, Francisca Sekete, Happiness Maroto, Emma Makoni, Kimberly Marembo, Ellen Chikoto, Thelma Goredema, Cynthia Mambo, Fadzai Manongo, Sharon Chamwarura, Mary Chawayipira, Tadiwa Mabika, Stabile Ngandini, Gertrude Mapiya, Kelly Mhembere, Nomusa Dzobo, Lopez Viki, Melissa Majonga. -@innocentskizoe
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