Africa-Press – Kenya. Kenya’s top esports player Bilal Mohammed will lean on his growing international experience as he chases another milestone at the DreamHack Birmingham 2026 Cup, which kicks off this weekend in the United Kingdom.
Fresh from his African Championship triumph, Mohammed is targeting a place at the European finals and, more importantly, a qualification slot for the Esports World Cup. The Birmingham event serves as part of the official pathway to the global showpiece set for Riyadh later this year.
Competing in Street Fighter 6, the Kenyan champion will headline a highly competitive field featuring up to 512 players in a demanding double-elimination format. The structure begins with pool matches before narrowing down to a Top 32 and ultimately a decisive Top 8 bracket, highlighting the scale and intensity of the tournament.
The competition will unfold over two days, with Saturday dedicated to pool stages and progression rounds up to the Top 16. Attention will then shift to Sunday’s high-stakes Top 8 finals, where the title—and qualification slots—will be decided.
Only the top two finishers in the Street Fighter 6 bracket will secure tickets to the Esports World Cup finals, where 32 of the world’s best players will converge, raising the stakes for every match Mohammed plays.
Reflecting on his previous European outing, Mohammed pointed to his performance at EVO France 2025 as a turning point. He finished 97th out of 1,644 players, an experience he says sharpened his tactical awareness and adaptability.
“I can say that I now have an understanding of what it takes to compete against players from Europe and other regions outside Africa. The lessons from our debut in France and the hard work that I have put in will definitely carry me through. I just want to make my country proud,” he said.
His rise has been backed by growing support structures at home. Ronny Lusigi noted that Mohammed’s journey reflects the steady progress being made under the Esports Kenya Federation, with more local players gaining exposure on the global stage.
“Bilal Mohammed is a perfect example of our federation’s commitment to taking Kenyan esports players to the highest levels of global competition. Just a few years ago, it was unheard of to see Kenyan esports players competing across Europe, but today this is becoming the norm,” Lusigi said.
Mohammed heads into Birmingham with strong credentials, having made history in 2024 by defeating Nigeria’s Chukwudi “Looks” Okoli 3-2 in Lagos to become Kenya’s first African champion in Street Fighter 6.
With the Birmingham campaign now underway, all eyes will be on whether he can translate that continental success into a breakthrough on the global stage. A place in Sunday’s Top 8 finals would not only put him in contention for the title but also move him within touching distance of competing among the world’s elite at the Esports World Cup.
