Africa-Press – Rwanda. RSSB Tigers secured their place in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) 2026 playoffs with a commanding 102–89 victory over South African champions Johannesburg Giants at SunBet Arena, Pretoria, on Wednesday.
The win confirmed the Tigers’ qualification for the playoffs, set to take place in Kigali in May.
The Rwandan side have been dominant in the Kalahari Conference, maintaining a perfect 3–0 record and emerging as the only unbeaten team in the group.
RSSB Tigers beat South African champions Johannesburg Giants 102–89 at SunBet Arena, Pretoria, on Wednesday. Courtesy
Despite Giants’ strong backing from the home crowd, Henry Mwinuka’s side once again underlined their title ambitions with a composed and clinical performance.
The Giants kept the contest competitive through the first three quarters, but a decisive 5–0 run at the start of the fourth quarter shifted momentum firmly in favour of the Tigers. From there, the Rwandan side pulled away, stretching their lead to double digits with four minutes remaining and effectively ending any hopes of a comeback.
Leonard Randall II led the scoring for RSSB Tigers with an impressive 39 points, while Mangok Mathiang recorded his second double-double of the tournament with 32 points and 10 rebounds.
RSSB Tigers secured their place in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) 2026 playoffs
For the Giants, Jakobi Heady delivered a strong individual performance, finishing with a team-high 30 points, while Nathi Sibanyoni contributed 24 points and 18 rebounds. However, their efforts were not enough to secure a first win, leaving the South African side still searching for victory in the conference.
In another Kalahari Conference fixture, Nairobi City Thunder suffered their second defeat, falling 97–70 to defending champions Petro de Luanda during the second game of the day.
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