The Mozambican Basketball Federation (FMB) has added another chapter to the Mozambican basketball saga by announcing that it will not bid to host the next qualifying rounds for Afrobasket 2025 unless FIBA-Africa contributes to the associated costs. This decision comes after FIBA-Africa approached Mozambique to host one of the qualifying rounds, with dates planned for November or February.
Proposal Context
Mozambique is in Group "A" of the Afrobasket 2025 qualifiers, alongside South Sudan, Mali, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. FIBA-Africa's proposal aimed to include the country as the host of one of the qualifying tournament stages, an opportunity that could raise the profile of Mozambican basketball on the continental stage.
However, the FMB was reluctant to accept the proposal due to the high costs involved. According to FMB president Paulo Mazivila, the federation is unwilling to cover all expenses, including significant fees, without financial support from FIBA-Africa. Mazivila emphasized that without adequate participation from the continental entity, the federation will opt out of hosting the qualifiers.
FMB Decision
The decision not to bid to host the qualifying windows reflects the FMB's concern about the financial impact such a commitment would entail. The Mozambican federation has faced similar challenges before, as evidenced by the qualifying round against South Africa, held in Maputo, where the FMB had to bear all the financial burden.
Impact on Mozambican Basketball
Mozambique's absence from Afrobasket since 2017, when the competition was co-hosted by Senegal and Tunisia, had already been a blow to the national basketball team. Now, the decision not to bid to host the qualifiers could have further implications for the development of the sport in the country and the Mozambican national team's participation in the continental tournament.
The FMB is awaiting a response from FIBA-Africa regarding the possibility of financial support. Unless the conditions offered change, Mozambique will remain outside the qualifying circuit, and the federation will focus on other competition options outside the country.
This new development highlights the difficulties faced by national federations in maintaining internationally competitive sport, especially when it comes to assuming substantial financial burdens. The Mozambican basketball community hopes that a solution will be found to guarantee the country's participation in future editions of Afrobasket.
