Africa-Press – Rwanda. The Federation of International Basketball Associations (FIBA) has announced the draw results for the first round of Basketball Africa League (BAL) 2022 qualifiers.
The qualifiers’ first round will run from October 19 to 31 in four African cities: Conakry (Guinea), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Johannesburg (South Africa) and Yaounde (Cameroon).
A total of 26 African teams have registered and have been divided into six groups with 13 teams competing in the West Division, while 12 teams will battle in the East Division.
The teams that finish in the top two places of each group and four teams to be awarded wild cards from each Division will advance to the elite round of 16.
Meanwhile, Rwandan champions Patriots will get an automatic ticket to the 2022 Basketball Africa League (BAL) regular season owing to the fact that the country will host a key part of the tournament – the semi-finals and finals.
The national champions from Nigeria, Angola, Egypt, Senegal, Tunisia and now Rwanda are automatically qualified for the BAL. Egypt’s Zamalek have won the first edition of the BAL.
WEST DIVISION
Group A (26-31 October in Conakry)
AS Police (Mali) Boufarik (Algeria) Predio Basketball (Cape Verde) S.L.A.C (Guinea)
Group B (26-31 October in Conakry)
Academie D’or des Arches (Burkina Faso) ASPAC (Benin) AS Nigelec (Niger) Societe Omnisport de L’Armee (Cote d’Ivoire)
Group C (26-31 October in Yaounde)
C.B. Mazembe (DR Congo) F.A.P (Cameroon) Malabo Kings (Equatorial Guinea) Tondema (Central African Republic) Team from Gabon (To be confirmed)
EAST DIVISION
Group D (26-31 October in Dar es Salaam):
ASCUT (Madagascar) Cobra Sport (South Sudan) Hawassa City (Ethiopia) Ulinzi Warriors (Kenya)
Group E (26-31 October in Dar es Salaam):
Brave Hearts (Malawi) City Oilers (Uganda) Kurasini Heat (Tanzania) New Stars (Burundi)
Group E (19-24 October in Johannesburg):
Cape Town Tigers (South Africa) Ferroviario da Beira (Mozambique) Matero Magic (Zambia) Mercenaries (Zimbabwe) Roche Bois Warriors (Mauritius)
