WBSC Africa, formerly known as the African Baseball and Softball Association (ABSA), is the governing body of baseball and softball within Africa. There are 27 members.[2]
The Africa Baseball and Softball Association (ABSA) was formed on June 8, 1990, in Lagos, Nigeria. The founding countries, 9 in number, were Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Lesotho, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The executive committee unanimously appointed at the inaugural meeting included Malcolm Burne (Zimbabwe) as president, Russell Bartlett (Namibia) as first vice president, Ray Pitcher (Zambia) as second vice president, Brigadier Ishola Williams (Nigeria) as secretary general, Lieutenant Colonel L Gwadabe (Nigeria) as assistant secretary general and Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke (Nigeria) as treasurer.[8] The executive director of the International Baseball Association (IBA), David Osinski was present at the inaugural meeting. The meeting was declared open by the then Minister of Sports of Nigeria, Air Commodore Anthony Ikhazoboh.[citation needed]
The 1st ABSA Congress was organised in 1992 in Harare, Zimbabwe. Thereafter 6 congresses have been held, with the 2nd held in 1993 in Cape Town, South Africa, the 3rd in 1994 in Johannesburg, South Africa, the 4th in 1995 in Harare, Zimbabwe, the 5th in 1996 in Lagos, Nigeria at which a new executive committee was elected to replace the appointed one. This Executive Committee comprised Major General Ishola Williams (Nigeria) as president, Ray Pitcher (Zambia) as vice president baseball, Matthews Kutumela (South Africa) as vice president softball, Etienne N’Guessan (Côte d'Ivoire) as secretary general and Fridah Shiroya (Kenya) as treasurer.
Also in 1996, responsibility for the promotion and development of the games was devolved to zones, and zonal coordinators were appointed as follows: zonal chairman North Africa Zone – Mohammed Ben Guiza (Tunisia), zonal chairman East and Central Africa Zone – Solomon Gacece (Kenya), zonal coordinator West Africa Zone – Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke (Nigeria), and zonal chairman Southern Africa Zone – Edwin Bennett.
The Sixth Congress was held in 2001 in Minna, Nigeria. Françoise Kameni Lele (Cameroon) was elected treasurer and the 7th Congress in 2006 in Nairobi, Kenya. At the Seventh Congress, Major General Ishola Williams was confirmed as president, Fridah Shiroya was elected vice president softball, and Mabothobile Shebe (Lesotho) was elected secretary general.
The first Africa Cup Baseball Championship was organised in 1992 in Harare, Zimbabwe with four countries participating, with South Africa winning, Zimbabwe finishing second, Nigeria third, and Zambia fourth. The second Africa Cup Baseball Championship in 1993 in Cape Town, South Africa, the third Africa Cup Baseball Championship in 1995 in Harare, and the fourth Africa Cup Championship in 2001 in Kampala, Uganda.
The first age-group baseball tournament organised by the ABSA was the 1st ABSA/KENKO Under-13 Baseball Tournament, with teams from four countries participating: winners South Africa as well as Kenya, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe.
The ABSA also organized AA Under-15, AAA Under-17, club championships and Little League competitions.[8]
These nations were members in the IBF but do not currently have membership in the WBSC and are not listed on WBSC Africa's website as of 2026[update].[2]
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Uche Odozor
