THE Johannesburg Giants have endured a difficult start to their Basketball Africa League Season 6 campaign, going winless in the Kalahari Conference. However, they still have a chance to reach the playoffs in Kigali this May – though that opportunity is quickly slipping away.
Knowing that their backs are against the wall after their 71–65 defeat to Nairobi City Thunder (NCT) on Sunday, coach Florsheim Ngwenya will be figuring out how to dig his Giants out of a 0-2 hole.
Unlike their 100–70 loss at the hands of Dar City in their opener, this was a game the Giants were firmly in. They matched NCT possession-for-possession, fought through momentum swings, and gave themselves a genuine chance deep into the fourth quarter.
But in any basketball game, being close isn’t enough.
Giants struggled against sharpshooters
In the loss to DarCity last Friday, the Giants could not contain Côte D’Ivoire shooting guard Nisre Zouzoua, who scored 35 points, 24 of them from the three-point line.
Their defensive woes against shooters continued a few days later. City Thunder’s South Sudanese forward Garang Diing also had a field day from the arc against the Giants. Diing caught fire in the fourth quarter, pouring in 12 of his game-high 24 points, which guided the Thunder to victory.
While the Giants can take credit for the defensive intensity and improved offensive execution that fuelled their comeback, their inability to deliver in the clutch once again proved costly. The late-game struggles – so often the difference in tight contests – left the Johannesburg side winless and anchored in sixth place
Head coach Ngwenya acknowledged the improvement from the opening game but pointed to key details that ultimately cost his side.
“We showed more fight than in the first game, but it came down to a couple of mistakes,” Ngwenya said. “I thought we prepared well on both defence and offence, but one of the things that disrupted our rhythm was their offensive rebounding. They finished with 15, and that made a big difference.”
However, Giants centre Nkosinathi Sibanyoni delivered a commanding performance on the boards, finishing with 17 total rebounds in a strong individual effort despite the result. Ngwenya admitted the team now faces a shift in approach as they fight to stay alive in the competition.
“The script changes completely now from what we initially planned. We have to go back, reassess, identify weaknesses in the other teams, and prepare properly for the last three games.”
The former Cape Town Tigers coach also highlighted the experience gap between his side and more established opponents.
“We are battle-tested in our own way, but some of these teams come from more consistent leagues. For us, this is the first time playing together at this level in a competition like this,” said Ngwenya. “I believe with every game, we are making progress.”
What This Means
With the tournament now entering its decisive phase, the Giants find themselves in a precarious position that threatens to derail their historic BAL debut before it can truly take shape.
At 0-2 and at the bottom of the six-team standings, the South African champions have exhausted their margin for error at an alarming pace – each remaining fixture is now effectively a must-win, with a single defeat enough to end their playoff hopes.
With only three group-stage games remaining and the leading teams beginning to separate themselves, Ngwenya faces the urgent task of restoring the defensive discipline and offensive cohesion that powered their qualification campaign.
Failure to do so could see the Giants’ continental journey end prematurely. For a club that has invested heavily in a professional structure and stepped onto the continental stage within a year of formation, an early exit would represent a significant setback to their broader ambitions.
Sign up for our monthly newsletter for all the latest feature stories and previews of events on the African continent.
