The die is cast! Eight teams are in Johannesburg, South Africa, chasing the final three slots to the 2024 Basketball Africa League (BAL) set to be hosted in four cities for the first time.
FIBA Africa officially endorsed the final 12-player rosters for the East Division Elite 16 on Monday in Johannesburg.
Hosted at Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg, South Africa, the qualifier tournament is scheduled to unfold from Tuesday to Sunday. Each of the eight participating teams is approaching the Elite 16 East Division BAL qualifiers with determination and a strong belief in their potential success.
Pazi BBC (Tanzania) winners of the Group C qualification round hosted in their backyard and Dynamo BBC (Burundi) who earned a wild card from the same group are joined by NBA Academy Africa and South African champions Cape Town Tigers to form Group A.
Group B is headlined by regulars Ferroviaro da Bera (Mozambique) and City Oilers (Uganda) who remain favourites to top this group that also has Club Omnisport Police Nationale (COSPN) of Madagascar and JCB (Zimbabwe) who won the right from Group D and E respectively.
Kicking off the tournament is the clash between Mozambique champions Ferroviario da Beira and Zimbabwe’s JBC. Following this, NBA Academy Africa will take on Tanzania’s Pazi Basketball Club at 11:00 local time, followed by Uganda’s City Oilers facing off against Madagascar’s reigning champions, COSP, three hours later. The day will conclude with Cape Town Tigers going head-to-head against Burundi’s Dynamo.
The top two teams from Groups A and B will secure direct qualification to the Semi-Finals, offering a chance to advance to the fourth edition of the BAL. The third and final ticket to the BAL will be awarded to the winner of the Third-Place Game scheduled for Sunday.
Excitement and anticipation surround the Elite 16 East Division qualifiers as these eight teams vie for the opportunity to compete at the highest level in the prestigious Basketball Africa League.
Group A: CAPE TOWN TIGERS, PAZI, NBA ACADEMY AFRICA, DYNAMO
Group B: FERROVIARIO DA BEIRA, CITY OILERS, COSPN, JBC
