05 Nov 2026

Dolphins Basketball Club have secured a place in the East Division Elite 16 stage of the Road to Basketball Africa League (BAL) 2027 qualifiers.

Dolphins are the first Botswana team to reach this stage of the competition.

Dolphins, the Botswana Basketball League champions, did enough to progress, finishing their Group E campaign in Lusaka with three wins and two losses.

They opened their campaign at the NASDEC Sports Complex on October 30 with a 77-72 victory over Zimbabwe’s Harare Kings before recording a 78-74 win over Malawi’s Bravehearts BC in a match they dominated for long stretches.

The team also delivered a 63-56 victory over Soweto Panthers on November 2. The victory marked Dolphins’ third win of the tournament.

However, they also suffered a 96-56 defeat to Zambian hosts Munali Suns and 100-98 loss to Ferroviário da Beira.

“We came here to learn since we are a young team. It is something we did not expect, but we are here and we have qualified,” said Dolphins coach Trynos Moyo in an interview.

He said the team would return home to rest and prepare for the next stage, adding that they had learnt valuable lessons from their previous matches and would come back stronger.

The Elite 16 stage will be played in Kenya from November 23 to 29. ENDS