DAR ES SALAAM (TANZANIA) - East African nation Tanzania are trying to make some serious inroads in the continental game.

They will host Africa Zone 5 qualifiers for this year's AfroCan from June (17-23).

Teams heading to the regional qualifier heading to Dar es Salaam include Burundi, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Somalia and South Sudan.

The Final Round of the tournament will be held in Angola (July 7-16).

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) qualifyied for the tournament as champions from the 2019 edition, while  Kenya gained qualification as the losing finalists. Morocco are also qualified virtue of finishing fourth-placed in the Bamako-showpiece four years ago. 

As Tanzania embark on their AfroCan qualifying journey, they will remember that it has been 49 years since they last qualified for a major continental championship.

Their men's national program has also been in a lull since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now that it is back on track, there is excitement about the game and the upcoming competition.

"We are a developing country, and our government is beginning to reinvest in sports again. It's been a while since our national team participated at this (continental) level. The last time we did was 2020, before COVID. So there has been little activity," said new men's national team coach Mahommed Mbwana, who spoke to FIBA.basketball on Monday.

"Getting a chance to host the AfroCan qualifiers is a huge opportunity, and it's a privilege to have this kind of tournament coming to our country."

Mbwana has already named a 22-man squad for the qualifiers.

Headlining the list of those selected is 2009 NBA number two draft pick Hashim Thabeet. Mbwana says Thabeet, who plays for Taiwanese club TaiwanBeer Hero Bears and Atiki Ally, who plays for US College Brigham Young University Cougars, have yet to confirm if they will join the national team.

"They are our overseas-based players. We are hoping that they will be a part of the squad. Chances are 50-50 that they will come or not," said Mbwana. "Overall, the atmosphere and vibe is excellent among the players that are here."

Of the players presently in the camp, the standout players for Tanzania are scoring ace Baraka Sadiki and big man Jimmy Brown.

UDSM Outsiders center Brown brings shot-blocking and rebounding prowess. While shooting guard and JKT Basketball Club player, Sadiki has been a proven attacking weapon. Both players were part of local team Army Basketball Club's (ABC) Road To BAL 2022 campaign.

While Mbwana did not say who would make the final squad, he pointed out that health and form will determine the selection of players.

"We will select players based on performance. We had a couple of tournaments held some months ago, and they are among the guys that performed well. They are also still at their peak. It will be tough to choose a final 12, but hopefully, guys like Baraka Sadiki stay fit so that they can make the team," said Mbwana.

On Tanzania's opposition, Mbwana is upbeat at the prospect of facing some of Africa Zone 5's best teams.

"We are excited. I think it's going to be a great challenge. Some of these countries have good programs going on. We have been scouting and following up on what they are doing, and it's amazing," said Mbwana. "This is one of the reasons we look forward to this challenge. We also want our program to excel. As the saying goes, 'For us to be a better team we need to face some great challenges along the way'.

"So, we look forward to this tournament and to challenge some of these big basketball nations," the play-caller noted.

FIBA