NAIROBI (Kenya) - Last month, South Africa's Johannesburg Giants made a strong statement in the Road to BAL zonal qualifiers.
With the Elite 16 Division East set to begin on Tuesday, the team from South Africa's commercial capital will be looking to build on their success.
History
The Giants were formed this year and had an impactful start by winning the South African National Club Championship in September.
Coach
The experienced Florsheim Ngwenya is at the helm of coaching for the Giants.
Ngwenya, who led the Giants to this year's national championship, has led the South African national team at the 2011 AfroBasket, and he orchestrated the Cape Town Tigers' historic run to the BAL semi-final in 2024.
Key Players
Joshua Ozabor
Ozabor, the MVP of the South African national championships, acquitted himself well in the Road to BAL qualifiers in Zambia.
The 23-year-old floor general showed impressive scoring ability in games against Ferroviario da Beira (13 points) and Matero Magic (19 points). He is also a solid ball distributor and rebounder.
Pieter Prinsloo
Prinsloo is a veteran of the Road to BAL and is well known for his exploits with the Cape Town Tigers. As he did before with the Tigers, he will try to lead the Giants to BAL qualification.
He was deadly from three-point range, scoring 7/11 in a 21-point performance against Beira. The Giants will lean on his leadership and experience, especially in must-win game situations.
How they qualified
The Giants closed out their zonal qualifying campaign with a perfect 5–0 record, achieved using a squad composed entirely of South African players.
Elite 16, Group A
The Giants are in a tough group alongside the host club, Nairobi City Thunder, who won the Division East last year, and they will also face tournament debutants Namuwongo Blazers from Uganda.
FIBA