22 Oct 2026

B

otswana Basketball League (BBL) reigning champions, Dolphins, are gearing up to face regional rivals in the FIBA Africa Champions Clubs Road to Basketball Africa League (BAL) 2026 Division East qualifiers scheduled for Lusaka, Zambia from October 30 to November 3.

The qualifiers will bring together some of the top basketball clubs in Zone 6 to battle for places in the Elite 16 stage of the competition.

Seeded in Group E, Dolphins will face a stern test against Zambia’s Matero Magic, South Africa’s Johannesburg Giants, Mozambique’s Ferroviário da Beira, Zimbabwean champions Basket Hounds and Malawi’s Bravehearts.

The top two teams in the group will advance directly to the East Division Elite 16 stage, scheduled for November 23 to 29, where the final qualifying spots for the 2027 Basketball Africa League season will be decided.

The six-time BBL champions are no strangers to the competition, having represented Botswana in last year’s edition. However, they endured a difficult campaign, finishing with a 1-4 record before closing with an 80-65 victory over Zimbabwe’s Basket Hounds.

Despite disappointing campaign, Dolphins will draw encouragement from that final win, in which Kesaobaka Ndawanyana led the scoring with 25 points.

Kendrick Delahoussaye contributed 20 points and five assists, while Botsile Ramabu recorded a double-double of 11 points and 15 rebounds. Dominick Thomas added 10 points.

Dolphins will be hoping to build on that victory after strengthening their roster ahead of this year’s campaign, including the addition of renowned Cameroonian tactician, Mr Auguste Siedjou Nouwou.

The team has also welcomed back national team player and talisman Botsile Ramabu, who is currently playing for Japanese professional 3x3 side Utsunomiya Brex.

German player Adrian Breitlauch has also re-signed with the team following a brief stint in Madagascar. He was instrumental in Dolphins’ 2026 championship-winning campaign.

To bolster their size and presence inside the paint, Dolphins have recruited South Sudanese-Canadian centre-forward Makur Jongkuch and Angolan player Gildo Sumbo.

Jongkuch, who has played in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Slovenia and the United States, is expected to strengthen the team’s rim protection and rebounding, areas that have previously challenged the side.

Dolphins have further enhanced their offensive and playmaking options with the signing of Dallan “Deebo” Coleman, a guard with NCAA Division I experience at Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Central Florida in the United States.

In an interview, Dolphins team manager, Ms Goaba Mooki, said preparations for the tournament were at an advanced stage despite financial challenges.

She said the addition of international players was expected to bring much-needed stability and confidence to the team.

“We have assembled a solid and well-balanced team heading to Lusaka, thus very optimistic for positive results,” Ms Mooki said.

Ms Mooki said participation in the tournament was motivating in itself, providing local players with an opportunity to showcase their talent on an international stage and attract the attention of scouts. ends