ANTANANARIVO (Madagascar) – COSPN, Roche Bois Warriors, Beau Vallon Heat and Ushindzi will battle in Group E for the solo ticket to the Road to BAL Elite 16, in a three-day tournament slated for October 6-8 in Antananarivo.

While COSPN, Roche Bois Warriors and Beau Vallon Heat have already featured in the competition, Ushindzi will bear the newcomer’s tag in this tournament.

So many questions arise as the start is nearing with the first one being: “Who could cause surprise in the Group E?”

The games will take place in the now iconic Palais des Sports in Mahamas, home of Malagasy basketball.

FIBA.basketball presents the teams making up Group E for the Road to BAL 2024.

Club Omnisport Police Nationale (COSPN, Madagascar)

Hosting the tournament comes with a responsibility and this is one thing they take seriously, knowing they will be followed by fans, local and abroad.

COSPN presents a solid roster, home to some household names in Madagascar, such as Livio Ratianarivo, Arnol Solondrainy and Orlando Rahajaniaina.

Livio Ratianarivo will lead the charge for the Malagasy champions

Last year, COSPN made it through the First Round, finishing with a 2-0 streak in front of their home fans, thanks to comprehensive victories over Djabal Basket Iconi and Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).

But their Elite 16 campaign came to an end when they bowed to the Cape Town Tigers, City Oilers and Matero Magic in a winless travel to Johannesburg.

For the coming campaign, COSPN have called in big man Bishop Coulter to reinforce their defensive end, while counting on their locals to bring danger in the offensive sector.

COSPN comes with quite some history, having been crowned champions of the FIBA Africa Zone 7 Championship in 2018, hosted by Seychelles.

So, they have the experience and the firepower to make it to the next round, unless, that is, a surprise guest upsets them.

Roche-Bois Warriors (Mauritius)

Roche-Bois Warriors are the youngest of the four clubs that will be in action at the Palais des Sports in Mahamas.

Founded in the 2005, the club has only two national titles and one appearance at the 2021 Road to BAL to boast about.

Joey Gerie will put his experience to help Roche Bois Warriors to reach the next round

That year, they travelled to Johannesburg and flew back to Mauritius with a 0-3 streak. They are now flying to Antananarivo with the intention of grabbing a more positive result than what they produced two years ago.

To achieve this, they will rely on their local players, such as young hopeful Mitchy Charles, 2021 National League Finals MVP Howard Alexandrine, 2022 Finals MVP Joey Gerie and season MVP Kerry Laprovidence, who has been part of the flight to the South African city in 2021.

Beau Vallon Heat (Seychelles)

Seychelles' representative in this year's Road to BAL are no short of experience as they bring along a seasoned roster.

With Timmy Adam leading the charge for the islanders, Beau Vallon Heat are in to upset their opponents on their way to the next round.

Beau Vallon Heat captain Timmy Adam (center) will try to overpower his opponents in a bid to reach the Elite 16

The Heat first appeared at the Road to BAL in October and November 2019, in Antananarivo. They finished with a -13 streak, scoring a 20-0 run against Comoros’ Usoni. But they suffered heavy losses to the hands of KPA, Cobra Sports of South Sudan and Madagascar’s GNBC.

Since then, they have reinforced several sectors of their games, recruiting Nigerian James Oliseh for their back-court. For their first outing in the post-COVID era, they will look to finish on a positive note.

Ushindzi Club de Ouani (Comoros)

Ushindzi Club de Ouani are the newcomers to the Road to BAL. For their maiden appearance, they will try to make the most of their trip to Madagascar.

Founded in 1976, Ushindzi boasts seven regional titles (2011, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, two regional trophies (2022, 2023) and two national titles (2015, 2023). Their first and only appearance at an international tournament goes back to the FIBA Africa Zone 7 Championship in 2016.

They will be in Madagascar courtesy of their most recent national title, when they dispossessed Djabal Basket of their crown in the play-offs.

Team captain Bendafi Kamardine, vice-captain Salla Omar Said and point guard Mouslim are the core of the team and bring valuable experience to the Comorian side. Will this be enough to overcome hot favorites COSPN and challengers Roche Bois Warriors and Beau Vallon Heat ?

Fixtures:

October 6: COSPN vs Beau Vallon Heat; Ushindzi Club vs Roche-Bois Warriors
October 7: Roche-Bois Warriors vs COSPN; Ushindzi Club vs Beau Vallon Heat
October 8: COSPN vs Ushindzi Club; Roche-Bois Warriors vs Beau Vallon Heat

FIBA