Preview: Hosts Zamalek meet title holders Burgos in second Semi-Final

CAIRO (Egypt) - The reigning FIBA Intercontinental Cup champions, Hereda San Pablo Burgos, start their title defense in a clash against the hosts, Zamalek SC, as history awaits the victor in the second Semi-Final.

Here's a closer look at the two teams:

History: It's a tournament of firsts. The first time the competition has been held in Africa with Zamalek becoming the first team from the continent to ever compete in the FIBA Intercontinental Cup. 

The Egyptian side have a rich history in their domestic league with a record 15 SuperLeague titles and now have the chance to go up against European opposition once again having previously competed internationally.

As for Burgos, they enjoyed a winning debut 12 months ago as they defeated Quimsa to take the 2021 title. It was the second successive year a Spanish side had lifted the trophy following the success of two-time winners Iberostar Tenerife, while Real Madrid and Barcelona are also part of the tournament's roll of honor.

How they made it: Zamalek were crowned inaugural winners of the Basketball Africa League as the competition finally got underway after being postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament was held in Kigali, Rwanda and Zamalek advanced through to the final without a defeat from five games.

They then claimed a 13-point victory over Monastir to lift the title with five players in double figures to reflect a team effort in the success.

Burgos, meanwhile, celebrated a second year of European glory as they defended their Basketball Champions League title in 2021. The club defeated Pinar Karsiyaka in Nizhny Novgorod to make it back-to-back victories having first won the competition in Athens the previous season.

Watch out for: Zamalek have made a string of reinforcements heading into the tournament. DJ Strawberry, Dewarick Spencer and Mikhael McKinney are amongst the new names alongside Nigeria's Ike Diogu to add experience to the roster.

Vitor Benite already has two Intercontinental Cups to his name as well as the MVP award from 2021 and the Brazilian is determined to help the club add to their growing trophy cabinet. The team's leading scorer also has support from the likes of Alex Renfroe and Julian Gamble.

FIBA