Efforts are growing across the country to help bring a former St. Francis Xavier basketball star to safety after an incident in his African nation.

Guy Mbongo remains in hiding in his home country, the Central African Republic, after having his life threatened and all his possessions stolen during a rebel uprising earlier this year.

“Basically he told me they put a gun to his head and told him that he was going to die,” says St. FX basketball coach Steve Konchalski. “They did spare him but they took all his belongings.”

Konchalski has coached hundreds of basketball players in his 39-year career at St. FX but he holds special regard for three players from the Central African Republic, especially Mbongo.

“He learned English actually faster than the other players did,” says Konchalski. “He said by watching cartoons, which was one of his learning experiences.”

The three African players led the way when St. FX won the National University Basketball Championship back in 1993 – a first for the school and Konchalski.

After graduating with a degree in economics, Mbongo moved back to the Central African Republic, where he worked as a customs official.

In March, he and his family were forcibly removed from their homes during a rebel uprising and now they are in hiding.

His former teammates from across Canada have started raising money to help him try to get back on his feet, which included selling bracelets that say ‘Free Guy’ during St. FX Homecoming.

Henry Johnston says he became lifelong friends with Mbongo after meeting him 20 years ago.

“Firstly, we were trying to raise money to help him rebuild his life in Central Africa and then it was decided that because of his connection to Canada that maybe we could consider trying getting him back to Canada and rebuilding his life here instead,” says Johnston.

He says Mbongo’s Canadian friends are working with an immigration lawyer to find a way to bring Guy and his family back to Canada safely. It will take time, but the conditions have calmed down in the African nation since the uprising in March.

“The fact that his teammates have rallied around him the way they have is an illustration of how team sports can really teach one many life lessons,” says Konchalski.

Mbongo wasn’t able to make it to this year’s 20th anniversary of his graduating class, but his friend hope he will make it back in Canada for next year’s homecoming.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Dan MacIntosh