Damas Sikubwabo<\/b><\/p>\n
Africa-Press – Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>Rwanda skipper Dieudonne\u0301 Ndizeye has been named in the All-Tournament team of the 2023 FIBA AfroCAN that concluded in Luanda, Angola, on Sunday night, July 16.<\/p>\n Ndizeye, a regular member of the Rwandan national team, left his mark in Luanda with consistent performances that helped Rwanda secure a third place finish overall after a hard fought 82-73 victory over DR Congo on Sunday were the left-handed small forward contributed 22 points, which resulted from his 6-for-11 three-point shooting.<\/p>\n The national basketball team captain, Dieudonne\u0301 Ndizeye<\/p>\n Besides his All-Star team recognition, Ndizeye won the best three-pointer prize.<\/p>\n The 27-year-old recorded a team-high 15.7 points per game to help Rwanda finish in the top of continental competition for the first time in their history with a 3-3 run.<\/p>\n Other nominees include:<\/p>\n Kevin Franceschi<\/p>\n Just a few weeks after winning the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2022-23 Moroccan League regular season, Kevin Franceschi was named the 2023 FIBA AfroCan MVP as he helped Morocco clinch their first continental championship since 1965.<\/p>\n The 29-year-old shooting guard, who plies his trade at FUS Rabat, played a major role in helping Morocco conquer the quadrennial competition in the Angolan capital Luanda.<\/p>\n He made his presence felt in Morocco’s rotation, averaging team-highs 12.8 points and three assists per game while playing 32.4 minutes per game.<\/p>\n In Sunday’s AfroCAN title decider, Franceschi was 4-for-9 from the floor to finish with 14 points as Morocco beat Co\u0302te d’Ivoire 78-76 to reach the top of the podium of an African competition in over five decades.<\/p>\n Jihad Benchlikha (Morocco)<\/p>\n Benchlikha, who contributed 8 points in the Final, was one of the reasons Morocco rose to the occasion, especially after his semi-final jaw-dropping performance against RD Congo.<\/p>\n Against the Congolese, the 32-year-old shooting guard was 5-for-10 from beyond the arc to finish with 15 points as Morocco prevailed 76-69.<\/p>\n Overall, the three-point specialist averaged 10.2 points per game as Morocco finished 5-1.<\/p>\n Evariste Shonganya (DR Congo)<\/p>\n DR Congo may have finished fourth, but Shonganya was one of the top performers in the tournament, and he deservedly ended up being named in the All-Star team.<\/p>\n A member of the DR Congo 2019 AfroCAN winning team, Shonganya finished as the leading scorer of the tournament with an average of 19.8 points per game.<\/p>\n The DR Congo returned home with a 3-2 mark after winning their first three games in the tournament.<\/p>\n Mike Fofana<\/p>\n Fofana did everything he could to help Cote d’Ivoire win their first continental trophy since 1985 when the Elephants won the AfroBasket on home soil, but Morocco proved too tough to beat in the final.<\/p>\n Fofana came up with 17 points in the final against Morocco and averaged team-highs 12.7 points and 3 assists per game.<\/p>\n Born in the United States to Ivorian parents, Fofana has recently relocated to Cote d’Ivoire, where he plays for Abidjan Basket Club.<\/p>\n His talent is unquestionable and, with his display at the 2023 FIBA froCAN, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he filled in one of Co\u0302te d’Ivoire\u2019s 12 spots for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in August.<\/p>\n Cote d’Ivoire concluded their AfroCAN campaign as they started, with a loss. After losing the opening game to Kenya, the Ivorians bounced back with four straight wins before falling to Morocco. Cote d’Ivoire returned home with a 4-2 mark.<\/p>\n Other individual awards included:<\/p>\n\r\n