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SportsBiz Africa became a serious test of East African FC 26 when 15 players from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia and Rwanda entered the 32 player tournament in Kigali.
By the end of Day 1, more than half of them were still alive. Eight East Africans had made the knockout stage. Two had topped their groups. Three countries had multiple players through. And Somalia had a professional player who had already represented Chelsea in the ePremier League earlier in the year sitting at the top of his group.
ALSO READ: Egypt’s Anas Badr Wins SportsBiz Africa Esports Cup 2026
But getting through the group stage was only the beginning. The knockout bracket was brutal. By the time Anas Badr lifted the trophy and collected the $4,000 first prize, every East African player was out.
That does not tell the whole story, though. Because for a region that sent 15 players into a 32 player continental tournament, there was plenty to be proud of.
Eight East Africans Survived the First Test
The biggest headline from Day 1 was simple. Eight East African players reached the knockout stage. That was more than half of the region’s 15 player field.
The eight were:
- Harry Kappa (Kenya): 1st, Group D, 18 points
- NHAYCH7 (Somalia): 1st, Group B, 18 points
- Shaq (Kenya): 3rd, Group A, 15 points
- Prorate (Kenya): 2nd, Group C, 13 points
- Hermes (Tanzania): 3rd, Group C, 13 points
- Ezra (Uganda): 4th, Group D, 13 points
- Joabin (Uganda): 4th, Group A, 12 points
- Bashir (Uganda): 4th, Group B, 10 points
The other seven were eliminated at the group stage:
- Dav8 (Kenya): 8th, Group B, 0 points
- Aksam (Uganda): 7th, Group C, 3 points
- SahilM4 (Tanzania): 6th, Group A, 6 points
- Samy (Rwanda): 5th, Group A, 9 points
- Tresor (Rwanda): 7th, Group B, 3 points
- Franklin (Rwanda): 8th, Group C, 0 points
- Praise (Rwanda): 6th, Group D, 7 points
Kappa and NHAYCH7 Led the Way
Harry Kappa delivered the strongest Kenyan group stage. The Kenyan topped Group D with 18 points, earning a direct place in the quarterfinals. He lost to South Africa’s Zaid April in the winner’s bracket and Anas Badr in the loser bracket, bringing his journey to an end.
But across the tournament, there was another East African group winner making just as much noise – NHAYCH7. The Somali professional finished Group B on 18 points, also going directly into the Final Stage.
That achievement deserves more attention than it initially received. NHAYCH7 is not simply a player representing Somalia at a continental tournament. He had already competed at the highest level earlier in the year, representing Chelsea in the ePremier League.
So when he arrived in Kigali, this was not an unknown player hoping to survive. He was a professional coming into a strong African field. And he showed it. After topping his group, NHAYCH7 secured his slot in the quarterfinals but his amazing run came to an end when he faced Xmozaa who beat him 9-3 in the losers bracekt. This was after he lost on penalties to Prorate in the winners bracket.
Prorate Went Deep Again
For Kenya, Prorate produced another international performance worth talking about. He was drawn into Group C, which quickly became known as the group of death. Anas Badr was there. Hermes was there. Defending champion Zaid April was there. And somehow, Prorate came out second.
ALSO READ: SportsBiz Africa Esports Cup Groups Revealed: Prorate Drawn Into Group of Death
The Kenyan finished on 13 points, earning a place in the Winners Bracket. Then he started winning. First came Randy. Prorate 4-3 Randy. Then KillaFreak. Prorate 9-4 KillaFreak. That sent him into the Final Stage. There, he beat NHAYCH7 4-2 on penalties, putting himself firmly among the players still fighting for the title. His run eventually ended against Toxic Joe, who edged him 6-5.
Anas Badr then finished the job in the losers bracket with a 7-3 win. Prorate was out, but he had gone deep. After helping Kenya win the Rivalry Series in Lagos alongside Shaq, this was another strong international showing.
Shaq and Hermes Faced Some Serious Opposition
Shaq entered the knockout stage after finishing third in Group A with 15 points. His first opponent was Xmozaa. The Egyptian won 6-3. That pushed Shaq into the losers bracket, where he met defending SportsBiz champion Zaid April. Zaid won 4-1.
For Shaq, the tournament was over. It was a tough ending, but the Kenyan had still survived a group containing strong African competition and reached the knockout stage.
Then there was Hermes. The Tanzanian finished third in Group C with 13 points and immediately showed why he had survived that difficult group. He beat Nigeria’s Faruk 6-5. Then came Xmozaa. Another thriller. Xmozaa edged Hermes 7-6. Hermes dropped into the losers bracket and eventually lost 8-4 to Randy.
Uganda Had Three Players Through at SportsBiz Africa 2026
Uganda was one of the most interesting East African stories because it had four players in the tournament and three made the knockouts.
Joabin finished fourth in Group A on 12 points. Bashir finished fourth in Group B on 10. Ezra finished fourth in Group D on 13. Aksam was the odd man out, finishing seventh in Group C with three points.
Joabin’s knockout run ended against Faruk, who won 10-7. Bashir lost 10-8 to Randy. Ezra, however, managed to produce a win. He beat Algeria’s King1LL 5-4 before Randy eliminated him 10-5.
So Uganda left Kigali without a player in the later stages, but three of its four representatives had at least made the knockout bracket.
Rwanda’s Home Tournament Was More Difficult
For Rwanda, the tournament carried another layer. This was home soil.
Four Rwandan players were in the field:
- Samy
- Tresor
- Franklin
- Praise
But none made the knockout stage. Samy finished fifth in Group A with nine points. Tresor finished seventh in Group B with three. Franklin finished eighth in Group C with zero. Praise finished sixth in Group D with seven.
Praise was perhaps the most recognizable of the four because he had already appeared in the inaugural 2025 SportsBiz tournament.
The home crowd therefore had plenty to support, but Rwanda’s representatives could not turn home advantage into a knockout place. That will probably be one of the biggest lessons from the tournament for the local scene.
Sahil, Dav8 and Aksam Were Left Watching
Not every East African story ended with a knockout appearance. Tanzania’s SahilM4 finished sixth in Group A with six points. Uganda’s Aksam finished seventh in Group C with three. Kenya’s Dav8 had an especially difficult group, finishing eighth in Group B with zero points.
ALSO READ: Dav8: The Santiago eHub Star Taking His Next Step in Rwanda
For players like these, the tournament was still valuable. This is exactly what happens when local players are thrown into a continental field. Sometimes you discover that you are closer than expected. Sometimes you discover that there is still a lot of work to do. Both lessons matter.
Dav8, Aksam and Sahil now know exactly what the level looked like in Kigali. The next challenge is turning that experience into improvement.
What SportsBiz Africa Revealed About East Africa
The biggest thing Kigali showed is that East Africa is no longer sending one or two players to continental FC 26 tournaments and hoping for a surprise. There were 15 East African players in this field. Eight reached the knockout stage.
But there is another side to it. No East African reached the Grand Final. And that is where the region still has work to do.
Anas Badr eventually fought through the losers bracket, eliminating Kappa, Prorate, Xmozaa and Zaid April before beating Toxic Joe twice to win the tournament.
The gap is not enormous. But it is real.
Why It Matters for East African Esports
For years, East African FC players have mostly measured themselves against one another.
Kappa versus Prorate.
Shaq versus Hermes.
Kenyan tournaments.
Tanzanian tournaments.
Ugandan competitions.
Local money matches.
That is important, but international tournaments provide a different kind of education. You see different styles. Different tactics. Different levels of preparation.
You learn what happens when your usual tricks stop working. And that is exactly what Kigali provided. The region now has a much clearer picture of where its players stand.
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