Road To BAL: Favourable draw for Thunder as Elite 16 nears
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Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 24.11.24. | 20:58
The finalists in the 8-team competition qualify for BAL 2025
The Road of Basketball Africa League (BAL) East Division Elite 16 draw is out, with hosts and debutants Nairobi City Thunder placed in Group A.
The Bradley Ibs led side will take on Malawi's Brave Hearts, Cape Verde's Kriol Star who landed a wild card from the organisers and South Africa's MBB.
Group B has pitted BAL participants City Oilers of Uganda against Burundi's Urunani, Matero Magic of Zambia and South Sudan's Fox Basketball, another wild card beneficiary.
The four-team group matches will be played in a round robin format with the top two heading to the Semis, the winners of the knockout matches bagging the coveted slots to BAL 2025.
In their quest to make history for Kenya, Thunder begin their hunt facing Malawian champions, whose road to the Elite 16 was a triumph in the face of adversity. At the commencement of the Group E preliminary matches, Bravehearts had only eight registered players and got off to the worst possible start—losing their first two.
Bravehearts would regroup, winning their next two, with memorable victories over Fox of South Sudan and Mozambique's Costa do Sol, lighting the way to a debut on this stage.
On their part, Kriol Stars played in the three-team Group Phase competition, falling to Al Ahly Tripoli and Stade Malien. The wild card gives them a second chance to fight for a place in the BAL on their first time of asking.
Newly-crowned South African champions MBB Blue Soldiers take a spot Cape Town Tigers have helps since 2022 as they look to make it to the 12-team BAL competition whose final playoffs will be on their backyard.
Group A
1. MBB (RSA)
2. KRIOL STAR (CPV)
3. BRAVEHEARTS (MWI)
4. NAIROBI CITY THUNDER (KEN)
GROUP B
1. CITY OILERS (UGA)
2. URUNANI (BDI)
3. MATERO MAGIC (ZAM)
4. FOX BASKETBALL (SSD)
More to follow....
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