National Classic League champions Ulinzi Warriors have been drawn in Pool H2 of the Elite 16 in the Eastern Division for the qualifiers of next year’s Basketball Africa League, the second edition of the NBA sponsored tournament.
The Kenyan boys will take on South Sudan’s Cobra, City Oilers of Uganda and Mozambique’s Ferroviaro de Beira, with the top two teams going into the semis.
The Eastern Division Qualifiers will be staged in Johannesburg, South Africa from December 2.
In the elite 16, two groups of eight teams will be created consisting of the top two teams and wild cards of the first round. The top three teams from each group advance to the 2022 BAL season.
“This is a tough pool for us but the good thing is that we are ready for anyone. We played well in the first round and the two matches gave us a highlight on what we need to improve on heading into this crucial stage,” said Warriors captain Eric Mutoro of the draw.
The army side progressed to the Elite 16 Round after finishing second in the preliminary round qualifiers staged in Tanzania last month. They have been once again pooled against Cobra, a side they played and beat 53-47 in the first round in Dar es Salaam.
Warriors played only two matches against Cobra and Burundi’s New Star, against who they lost 80-72. ASCUT of Madagascar and Ethiopia’s Hawassa City pulled out of the event.
Meanwhile, Group H1 of the Eastern Division will have Tanzania’s Kurasini Heat, South Africa’s Cape Town Tigers, New Star and Matero Magic of Zambia.