LUSAKA (Zambia) - The opening day of the race for the final spots in the 2026 Road to BAL Elite 16 East Division was anything but dull.
The six southern African clubs put on an entertaining display of basketball, but ultimately, only three could prevail.
This article looks back at the day's events in the Zambian capital.
Dolphins' strong 3rd quarter proved game-changer
Botswana's Dolphins started their campaign in the same way that they ended their 2026 Road to BAL run: with a win!
A year ago, the Dolphins outscored the Zimbabwean Basket Hounds 85–60 in their final game of the season. On Friday, they narrowly defeated another Zimbabwean team, the Harare Kings, with a final score of 77–72.
The Dolphins needed a strong third quarter, outscoring the Kings 26–9, to secure the victory.
Led by Dallan Coleman and Kesaobaka Ndawanyana, who combined for 36 points, the Dolphins' defensive style forced the Kings to play sloppily, turning the ball over 22 times. The Dolphins capitalised on this with 18 points.
Emmanuel Muteba Shine of the Congo led the Zimbabwean Monarchs with 22 points, but the day belonged to Colleman and Ndawanyana, as well as Peter Cheng Marial of South Sudan, who finished just one rebound short of a double-double with 12 points.
Panthers were no match for Beira
In Friday's second game in Lusaka, Road to BAL debutants Soweto Panthers could not have received a more resounding wake-up call.
The South African representatives enjoyed a short-lived lead early in the game, but Ferroviario da Beira of Mozambique soon took control, recording the largest winning margin (92–63) on the opening day of the 2027 Road to BAL Group E.
The 29-point difference was a clear indication of the disparity between the two teams.
Beira won the rebounding battle 54–40 and moved the ball at a much higher rate, resulting in 25 assists to their opponents' 11. Beira forced the Panthers to turn the ball over an astonishing 20 times.
Three-time BAL participant Lebesa Selepe led Soweto in scoring with 18 points, while his teammate Alioune Tew contributed 15 points and 14 rebounds. However, coach Erik Tyrone Rashad will need to address his team's shortcomings urgently.
Ke Tarrious Bouchum led a quartet of Beira players who scored in double digits with his game-high of 23 points.
Munali Suns protect home court
The host club, Munali Suns, returned to the Road to BAL in emphatic style by beating the Malawian club, Bravehearts, 79–66.
The difference for Munali came from Elijah Mukelabai's double-double (25 points and 13 rebounds), Ofure Ujadughele's game-high 26 points, and Douglas Kandulu's 18 rebounds and five blocks.
The encounter saw Munali's height and size dominate the Malawians.
After a three-year absence from the Road to BAL, Munali dominated Bravehearts with seven-footer Kandulu, whose wingspan was put to good use with four blocks and nine rebounds.
Ujadughele, standing at 1.90 metres, was on fire on offence for Munali. He attacked at will, finishing easily in the paint and sinking two out of three shots from behind the arc to finish the third quarter with 15 points.
Also in the 1.90 m height range, Elijah Mukelabai showed strength and athleticism, slashing to the rim and dunking in both the first and second quarters.
The undersized Bravehearts had to fight hard, and for most of the game they never let Munali out of their sight.
Bravehearts made 10 of their 31 three-pointers, but at the 7:51 mark, with a three-point gap (64–61) between the teams, the Malawians crumbled. Munali capitalised with a 12-point run, sealing the Zambian club's victory.
Coming up next!
The action in Group E resumes on Saturday, with Soweto Panthers and Harare Kings both looking to bounce back from their opening losses and secure their first win of the tournament.
The day's second game sees Malawi's Bravehearts take on Dolphins, followed by the much-anticipated match between Ferroviario da Beira and hosts Munali Suns.
FIBA