NAIROBI (Kenya) – Dar City, the Tanzania National Basketball League champions, will head into the Elite 16 unafraid of what to expect.
If their performance in the Road to BAL is anything to go by, there will be plenty to watch out for.
With the acclaimed Senegalese coach Pabi Gueye at the helm, Dar City are looking to make an even bigger impact.
Club History
Dar City emerged as champions of the RBA Division 1 League in 2022, and went on to win the Basketball Dar es Salaam League twice, in 2023 and 2025 respectively.
The club then proved doubters wrong again by winning the National Basketball League, defeating the Army Basketball Club 97–48 and 78–46 over two games.
In winning the 2025 national title, Dar City achieved a convincing 72–62 victory in the final, taking a 3–0 lead in the best-of-five series against JKT. They had won the previous two games 68–44 and 71–64.
Coaching staff
Mamadou Gueye, a former Senegalese international, he played from 1992 to 2012 and was an assistant coach for his country’s national team.
He coached Urunani and was named BAL Coach of the Year in 2023, having led AS Douanes to the BAL final.
Fenan Atobrhan serves as an assistant coach to Gueye. She has experience working with Rwandan teams such as Tigers Basketball Club and APR.
She was also part of the Houston Rockets' coaching team at the 2025 NBA 2K26 Summer League. She is from Eritrea.
How they qualified
Dar City emerged from the Division East Road to BAL with a 2-0 record. They defeated Namuwongo Blazers of Uganda 83-70 and Djbal Club of Comoros 102-50.
The Club set a new BAL record with their star player, Raphiael Putney, scoring a massive 52 points in that game.
The team showed a commanding performance in their two games. A situation that has put Tanzania basketball in focus.
Key players
Raphiael Putney
An American professional basketball player who has made a mark for himself by scoring a massive 52 points in one game to set a new BAL record. He had previously played for Rivers Hoopers of Nigeria. The 6’10” Power forward/ center has played in Colombia, Dominican Republic, France, Italy and Rwanda, to mention but a few.
Deng Angok Yak Deng
Holds dual nationality from South Sudan and Australia and is a force to reckon with in the team.
Solo Diabate
An Ivorian who is very experienced in the game and have played in the BAL with different clubs.
An accomplished player by all standards and a two-time winner of the BAL with Zamalek of Egypt in 2021 and US Monatir in 2022. He has also played for Al Ahly, Libya and Petro de Luanda
Road to BAL history
Based on their record performance in the Road to BAL, Dar City are making their Elite 16 debut.
Two convincing wins were all it took for Dar City to earn its spot in this Elite 16 stage. The margins in the wins of 102-50 over Djabal Basket Iconi were resounding and 83-70 over Uganda’s Namuwongo Blazers told the story.
FIBA