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Prorate and Shaq have landed in Kigali. Just days after winning the Rivalry Series for Kenya in Lagos, the two FC 26 stars are now in Rwanda preparing for another major continental battle.
And this one is going to be different.
The Rivalry Series was already a huge test. Kenya finished top of the table, went unbeaten as a team, and Prorate finished the tournament with a perfect individual record to take the Player of the Tournament award.
ALSO READ: Kenya Wins Rivalry Series as Prorate Goes Unbeaten
Now there is no time to sit back and enjoy it. The next tournament is already waiting. The SportsBiz Africa Esports Cup 2026 is scheduled for September 12 and 13 at BK Arena in Kigali, with 32 professional players competing for a $10,000 prize pool. And judging by the names already confirmed, Kenya is walking into a serious FC 26 battlefield.
Prorate and Shaq Go From Lagos Champions to Kigali Challengers
The timing for the Sportsbiz tournament could not be more interesting. In Lagos, Prorate and Shaq were the East African duo everyone was watching. And they delivered.
The trophy was lifted. The celebrations followed. Then came Kigali. That momentum could be dangerous for the rest of the SportsBiz field. Confidence matters in FC 26. When a player is coming off a tournament where everything seemed to click, the next opponent has to deal with more than just their gameplay. They have to deal with belief. And right now, Prorate has plenty of it. Shaq does too.
ALSO READ: SportsBiz Africa Esports Cup 2026: How to Register and Everything You Need to Know
But there is one big difference. The SportsBiz Africa Esports Cup will put them into a much larger field. And to make things more interesting, some of the players who also made headlines at the Rivalry Series like Faruk Manzo and KillerFreak will also be in Kigali.
SportsBiz Africa Esports Cup Is Bigger This Time
The first SportsBiz Africa Esports Cup in 2025 featured eight players representing eight African countries. South Africa’s Zaid April eventually lifted the trophy after beating Egypt’s Xmozaa, while Kenya’s Harry Kappa was also part of the inaugural tournament.
The second edition has grown massively. As earlier revealed, the 2026 EA SPORTS FC tournament will bring together 32 professional gamers from across Africa, with $10,000 on the line.
The tournament is also part of a much bigger SportsBiz Africa week in Kigali, with the SportsBiz Africa Forum taking place on September 10 and 11. The forum’s wider programme includes an esports and games festival aimed at showing the growth of esports as a competitive sport and business opportunity in Africa.
For FC 26 players and fans, though, the attention will be on BK Arena. That is where the real fight starts.
Kenya Has Four Players in the Fight
Kenya is not sending just one player to Kigali. The country has a serious group of FC 26 talent in the competition.
The confirmed Kenyan names are:
- Harry Kappa
- Shaq of Phoenix Esports
- Prorate of TR Esports
- Dav8 of Santiago eHub
That is a strong lineup. Kappa brings years of experience and has already played in the inaugural SportsBiz Africa Esports Cup.
Shaq arrives after an important year that has seen him win major Kenyan competitions, move to Phoenix Esports and qualify for the Esports Nations Cup.
Speaking to East Gamers News after his arrival, the 18-year-old stated: “Just see you in Rwanda, and expect a good performance from me.”
ALSO READ: Esports Nations Cup Postponed to 2027: Why ENC Was Delayed
Prorate comes into Kigali after one of the best tournament runs of his career. And Dav8 has also been showing that he belongs among Kenya’s top competitive FC players.
Put all four together and Kenya suddenly looks like one of the countries capable of making noise. The interesting part will be whether the players can carry that local and regional form onto the continental stage.
Tanzania Is Bringing Experience and Firepower
Tanzania will also have players that Kenyan fans know very well.
The confirmed names are:
- Hermes King
- Sahilm4
Both names are familiar in the East African FC scene. Hermes in particular has been involved in some of the region’s biggest competitive storylines, including money matches and battles against Kenyan players.
And then there is Sahilm4. Kenyan fans have already seen what he can do. He has faced some of the country’s top players, including Ado, Sam Jr and Collo Gamer, and has built his own reputation as one of Tanzania’s dangerous FC competitors. So when Kenya and Tanzania players meet in Kigali, there will be more than just tournament points involved. There is regional pride too.
Uganda Has Three Players Ready to Make Noise
Uganda is also sending a strong group. The confirmed Ugandan players are:
- Aksam
- Bashir
- Joabin
Aksam is not a new name to anyone following African FC esports. He was part of the inaugural SportsBiz Africa Esports Cup in 2025, representing Uganda. Now he returns for the second edition alongside Bashir and Joabin.
Nigeria Is Coming With a Heavy Squad
Then there is Nigeria. And if you know African FC esports, you already know why that is a problem. The confirmed Nigerian players are:
- Faruk Manzo
- KillaFreak
- Mitch
- KingNonex
Faruk Manzo and KillaFreak are especially familiar names to Kenyan and African FC fans. Faruk was also part of the 2025 SportsBiz Africa Esports Cup, representing Nigeria.
South Africa Has the Champion
If there is one player everyone in Kigali will have to respect immediately, it is Zaidapril. He is the defending SportsBiz Africa Esports Cup champion.
Zaid April won the inaugural edition in 2025 after defeating Xmozaa in the final. Now he returns with another South African player beside him – Hamzamoosa10. Both are associated with Team Goliath Gaming.
Rwanda Has Home Advantage
Then there is Rwanda. The hosts have assembled their own team for the continental tournament. The confirmed names provided for the field are:
- Samy
- Tresor
- Franklin
- Praise
Praise is especially interesting because he represented Rwanda in the first edition and has now returned for the second. Praise won Rwanda’s 2026 EA SPORTS FC 26 national championship and will lead Rwanda’s four-player contingent into the continental tournament.
Algeria and Somalia Add More International Threats
Algeria’s confirmed representative is DZGalacticos37, associated with USMA Esports. On the other hand, NHaych7 will represent Somalia. He is another player with international experience, having played for Chelsea in the ePremier League this season.
That gives the tournament another layer. These are not simply players who have dominated local gaming lounges and online ladders. Some have already experienced professional environments outside their home countries. And that is exactly what SportsBiz Africa wanted this tournament to become. A meeting point for African FC talent.
Another ePremier League Guest
Another interesting name connected to the event is GriffeyFC. The ePremier League participant will be one of the international guests around the tournament.
With the level already in the lineup, you keep seeing another name and thinking: Wait, he’s coming too?
Why It Matters for East African FC 26
This is bigger than one tournament. For East Africa, these events are important because the region’s best players need more chances to test themselves outside their usual circles.
Kenyan players know Tanzanian players. They know Ugandan players. They know Nigerian names from online competition. But a continental LAN environment is different. The pressure is different. The setup is different. The crowd is different. And when the prize money is sitting there, every mistake suddenly feels twice as painful.
For players like Prorate and Shaq, this is also a chance to turn recent momentum into something bigger. They have already shown that they can win in Africa. Now they have to prove they can do it again. And this time, everybody knows their names.
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