NAIROBI (Kenya) - Seven teams will compete for six days at the Kasarani Indoor Gymnasium, vying for two spots in the 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL) season.
This is the second time Nairobi has hosted the East Division Elite 16, after last year's competition in which the host team, Nairobi City Thunder (NCT), and Kriol Star from Cape Verde qualified.
Which teams are competing in Nairobi?
NCT, who are hosting the tournament for the second consecutive year, have been placed in Group A alongside South Africa's Johannesburg Giants and Uganda's Namuwongo Blazers.
Meanwhile, Group B comprises Tanzania's Dar City, Zambian champions Matero Magic, Malawi's Bravehearts, and the returning Ferroviario da Beira of Mozambique.
When and where is the East Division Elite 16 taking place?
The Moi International Sports Centre (MISC) Kasarani Indoor Gymnasium, which hosted last year's competition, is a 5,000-seater venue that will host the tournament from Tuesday, 18 November to Sunday, 23 November.
Will the East Division Elite 16 games be live-streamed?
Yes, all games will be available to watch on FIBA's YouTube channel. Additional coverage will also be available on FIBA Africa's social media platforms.
Who are the favourites?
The Johannesburg Giants, who ended their debut group phase campaign with a perfect 5–0 record, are the clear favourites on paper.
Dar City, the Group D winners, have a star-studded squad that could see them qualify, which would be a historic feat for the Tanzanian side.
The home side, NCT, who received a bye to the Elite 16, are also a team to watch, having won the Division.
Players to watch
The seven team competition has attracted some of the best talents in the continent and beyond, including two-time BAL winner Solo Diabate, Road to BAL scoring record holder Raphiael Putney, Nisre Zouzoua who has twice featured in the competition for SLAC (2023) and ABC Fighters (2024) and South Sudan's Deng Angok Yak Deng, all with Dar City.
Lebanese-South Sudanese Ater Majok, a 2022 BAL winner, and 2025 BAL Combine Most Valuable Player (MVP) Chase Adams (Nairobi Cit Thunder), Omar Thielemans, Zaid Christopher Hearst (Matero Magic) Jovan James Mooring, Tony Dribela (Namuwongo Blazers), Joshua Thomas (Ferroviario da Beira), Daniel Prinsloo, Nkosinathi Sandile Sibanyoni (Johannesburg Giants) among others.
How did they qualify for the West Division Elite 16?
As hosts, NCT automatically qualified for the Elite 16 round, while the remaining six teams had to go through the Group Phase campaign.
TEAMS | WIN-LOSS RECORD | HOST CITY | PRELIMINARY ROUND |
Dar City | 2-0 | Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) | Group D |
Blazers | 1-1 | Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) | Group D |
Johannesburg Giants | 5-0 | Lusaka (Zambia) | Group E |
Ferroviario da Beira | 4-1 | Lusaka (Zambia) | Group E |
Matero Magic | 3-2 | Lusaka (Zambia) | Group E |
Bravehearts | 2-3 | Lusaka (Zambia) | Group E |
East Division Elite 16 Groups
The seven teams competing in Nairobi have been split into two groups of three and four with the top two in each group advancing to the semi-finals. The winners of the Last Four qualify for the 2026 BAL season.
Group A: Nairobi City Thunder, Johannesburg Giants, and Namuwongo Blazers
Group B: Dar City, Ferroviario da Beira, Matero Magic, Bravehearts
BAL Experience
NCT and Ferroviario da Beira have BAL experience with Matero Magic and Bravehearts bringing experience from previous Elite 16 appearances.
Despite being debutants, Giants, Blazers and Dar City boast deep squads with seasoned BAL players.
FIBA