2026 Road to the Basketball Africa League (BAL) qualifiers
2026 Road to the Basketball Africa League (BAL) qualifiers
- Namuwongo Blazers 99-56 COSPN
- Urunani 84-79 Patriot Basketball Club
Photo: FIBA media
Namuwongo Blazers registered their second win in the 2026 Road to the Basketball Africa League (BAL) qualifiers after beating Madagascar’s COSPN 99-56 at Hoima City Arena on Thursday.
Fataki Nyembo led the Blazers with 23 points and eight rebounds as the Ugandan side dominated the game to strengthen their chances of reaching the next stage.
. Fans follow the action during the Road to the Basketball Africa League qualifiers at Hoima City Arena. Photo: FIBA media
Makhtar Gueye added 15 points, while Peter Obleng scored 11 for the Blazers. COSPN’s Ikenna Kenechukwu led his team with 20 points, while Hasina Rasolondrianna collected 10 rebounds.
COSPN started with a lay-up from Alpha Solondrainy, but Namuwongo responded with a 13-0 run to take control.
Photo: FIBA media
The Blazers struggled to defend in the first quarter, allowing COSPN to score easily. The Madagascar side stayed close, with Namuwongo leading 20-19 at the end of the opening quarter.
Namuwongo improved in the second quarter, limiting COSPN’s fast breaks and outside shooting to take a 43-35 lead at halftime.
The hosts pulled further away after the break, restricting COSPN to just eight points in the third quarter to lead 71-43.
They maintained their strong performance in the final quarter to complete a 43-point victory.
In the other Group D match, Burundi’s Urunani defeated South Sudan’s Patriot Basketball Club 84-79 in a closely contested game.
Patriot showed promise in their first Road to BAL appearance, with Michael Dixon scoring 17 points and Jackson Makoi adding 16.
However, Urunani held on to secure the win. Namuwongo will face Patriot on Saturday at 6pm before taking on Urunani on Sunday at the same time. Both games will be played at Hoima City Arena.
The top two teams in the group will advance to the Elite 16, where they will compete for places in the 2027 BAL.
Source: ChampionSport Reporter
