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The SportsBiz Africa Esports Cup 2026 is coming to Kigali with 32 of Africa’s best EA SPORTS FC 26 players set to battle for a share of a $10,000 prize pool. And for players thinking about entering the tournament, there is a lot you need to know before filling out that registration form.
The second edition of the continental event will be played on September 12–13, 2026, at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, with the competition moving to PlayStation 5 and EA SPORTS FC 26.
Unlike a tournament where players simply show up and play, this one comes with limited slots, nationality restrictions, travel requirements, squad rules and a proper qualification process.
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And yes, registration is free. But there are only 32 places, with a maximum of two players allowed from each nation. So if you are an African FC 26 player seriously thinking about making the trip to Kigali, this is everything you need to know.
SportsBiz Africa Esports Cup 2026: What Is the Tournament?
The SportsBiz Africa Esports Cup was launched in 2025 as a continental EA SPORTS FC competition designed to bring some of Africa’s best players into one tournament. The inaugural edition brought together players from eight African countries and produced a South African champion.
Zaid April took the first title after beating Egypt’s Xmozaa in the final. The first edition also featured some familiar names from across the region, including:
- Faruk — Nigeria
- Harry Kappa — Kenya
- Aksam — Uganda
- Hermes — Tanzania
- Kora — South Sudan
- Praise — Rwanda
That first tournament already gave the competition a strong East African connection. Now the organisers are taking things up another level.
The SportsBiz Africa Esports Cup 2026 Edition Is Much Bigger
The biggest difference is the size of the competition. The 2026 edition will feature 32 players, meaning the field is four times the size of the eight-player field from the inaugural edition. The tournament will also feature a bigger $10,000 prize pool, with the champion alone taking home $4,000.
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The key details are:
- Dates: September 12–13, 2026
- Venue: BK Arena, Kigali, Rwanda
- Game: EA SPORTS FC 26
- Platform: PlayStation 5
- Players: 32
- Prize pool: $10,000
- Participation fee: Free
- Minimum age: 16
- Eligibility: African nationals
- Maximum players per nation: 2
That two-player-per-country rule is especially important. It means the tournament won’t simply become a race between whoever manages to register first from the biggest FC communities. The field is being controlled to keep the competition spread across the continent.
How to Register for the SportsBiz Africa Esports Cup 2026
This is the part players should pay the most attention to. Registration is done online, and there is no participation fee. However, submitting the form does not automatically mean you have secured a place.
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The tournament is capped at 32 players, and players must wait for written confirmation before treating their place as confirmed. Registration closes on August 21, 2026, or earlier if all 32 slots are filled.
What You Need to Register
Players should have the following information and documents ready:
- Official name
- Gamer tag
- Date of birth
- Nationality
- Esports team, if applicable
- Email address
- WhatsApp phone number
- Travel document
The travel-document requirement is important because players will be travelling to Rwanda for the tournament. For East African Community citizens, a national identity card can be uploaded.
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Players from other nationalities must upload a travel passport. The document can be submitted as a:
- Image
- Document
So don’t wait until the final day to start looking for your documents.
Where to Register
Players can access the official registration page here. The registration page also contains the tournament information, eligibility requirements and other instructions players need before applying.
Registering Does Not Automatically Give You a Slot
This is probably the most important thing to understand. You register first. Then you wait. After submitting your information and documents, the tournament admin reviews the application.
Players should allow up to 72 hours to receive written confirmation from IndexG Esports.
The process is:
1. Submit your registration
Fill in your details and upload the required travel document.
2. Wait for slot confirmation
The organisers review the application and documents.
Written confirmation is sent by email within 72 hours.
3. Book your travel
Once your place is officially confirmed, you can proceed with your travel arrangements.
Players are responsible for their own:
- Travel
- Accommodation
- Meals
The organisers provide the venue, consoles and tournament operations.
4. Send your ticket to the admin
After booking your travel, players are required to send their ticket to the tournament admin.
5. Check in before the tournament
Players must check in on September 11, 2026, at 6:00 PM. That is when the tournament draw will take place. So the competition itself begins on September 12, but players need to be in Kigali and ready beforehand.
Who Can Play?
The eligibility rules are straightforward. The tournament is open to citizens of African nations. Players must also be at least 16 years old at the start of the tournament. There is no entry fee.
But the field is limited to 32 players, and the competition is capped at two players per nation. That means registration is not something players should leave until the last minute.
For players from Rwanda, the registration process also includes a national preselection route, with the tournament page directing Rwandan players toward the Rwanda preselection process. For everyone else, the continental registration process applies.
How the Group Stage Works
Once the 32-player field is confirmed, the competition moves into the group stage.
There will be four groups of eight players. Every player faces the other players in their group in Best of One (BO1) matches. That means every game matters. There is very little room to throw away points because one bad result can make the difference when the group standings are decided.
The scoring system is simple:
- Win — 3 points
- Draw — 1 point
- Loss — 0 points
At the end of the group stage, the top two players from each group advance. That leaves eight players in the knockout stage.
The Knockout Stage Is Double Elimination
This is where things get even more interesting. The top two players from each group advance to the knockout stage. The knockout stage will be played in a single-leg, double-elimination format. That means one defeat does not necessarily send a player home. There is a losers’ bracket, giving players a second route toward the title.
For competitive players, this changes the mentality completely. You still don’t want to lose. But if you do, the tournament isn’t necessarily over. The challenge becomes surviving the bracket, adapting quickly and making sure the next mistake doesn’t become the one that finally ends the run.
SportsBiz Africa Esports Cup 2026 Game Settings
For players preparing their Ultimate Team squads, the match settings are particularly important. The tournament will use FUT, with the following settings:
| Setting | Rule |
|---|---|
| Mode | FUT |
| Stadium | Ultimate Team |
| Half length | 9 minutes |
| Controls | Any |
| Game speed | Normal |
| Setting | Competitive |
| Shooting | Precision |
| Squad type | Ultimate Team |
| Camera | Telebroadcast / Coop |
| Other settings | Default |
Players should therefore prepare for a competitive Ultimate Team environment rather than arriving with assumptions about standard kick-off settings.
FUT Squad Restrictions You Need to Know
There are also restrictions on the types of players competitors can use in their 18-man squads.
The limits are:
- Maximum 3 EVO players
- Maximum 3 SBC players
- Maximum 3 Icons/Heroes
- Maximum 2 loan players
- Maximum 2 players rated 97+
That last rule is particularly important for players building squads around the highest-rated cards. You can use 97–99 rated players, but only two of them can be included in the 18-man squad. All other settings must remain at their default values unless specifically stated in the tournament rules.
What Happens If You Forfeit?
Forfeits are also covered by the rules. A player who is declared to have forfeited a match loses 2-0. However, there is an interesting exception. If the winning player had scored more than three goals before the forfeit, they keep those goals. So a forfeit does not simply wipe the match away and replace everything with a standard score in every situation.
The $10,000 Prize Pool
Now comes the part everyone will be watching.The total prize pool for the 2026 edition is $10,000.
The money will be distributed as follows:
- Champion — $4,000
- Runner-up — $2,000
- Third place — $1,000
- Fourth place — $1,000
- 5th–8th — $500 each
For the eventual champion, that means a $4,000 payday for winning a tournament featuring 32 players from across Africa. And because the competition is capped at two players per country, every nation that gets players into the field will have a real reason to follow the tournament closely.
Why This Matters for East African FC Players
For East African players, this tournament should be on the radar. The first edition already showed that the region can compete with some of Africa’s strongest FC players. Harry Kappa represented Kenya, while Aksam, Hermes and Kora carried the flags of Uganda, Tanzania and South Sudan respectively.
Now the field is much larger. Kenya has a deep FC 26 scene, with players such as Harry Kappa, Shaq, Prorate, Trex, Sam Jr, Collo Gamer, Tank, Ibrah and many others competing at a high level. Uganda and Tanzania also have established competitive scenes, while Rwanda gets the benefit of hosting the tournament on home soil. But with only two players allowed per country, getting into the final 32 will be a battle in itself.
And that is part of what makes the tournament exciting. This isn’t just about turning up in Kigali. Players have to earn their place in the field, survive the groups, navigate the double-elimination knockout stage and then beat the best players who made it through from across the continent.
Ready to Take on Africa?
The SportsBiz Africa Esports Cup 2026 is offering African FC 26 players a serious opportunity: a free entry, a $10,000 prize pool and a chance to compete against some of the continent’s strongest players inside one of Rwanda’s biggest sporting venues. But the window won’t stay open forever.
There are only 32 slots, the tournament allows a maximum of two players per nation, and registration closes on August 21 or as soon as the field is full. If you believe you belong among Africa’s best, this is the part where you stop watching other people compete and put your name in.
Register, wait for confirmation, get yourself to Kigali and see what happens. The SportsBiz Africa Esports Cup 2026 is waiting.
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