FROM the moment Marlou Swanepoel picked up a basketball in 2020, it was love at first bounce, and when he started high school, he was already clear in his mind that whichever school he went to, it had to have his newfound love.
The Pretoria Boys High School pupil and DUEP player has big dreams, has already tasted success in his young career, and feels those wins are signs that basketball has a lot more to offer. Having won the MVP title at the recent Africa Hoops Grassroots Youth Classic Tournament, Swanepoel, who is from South Africa’s Gauteng province, hopes performing on the court and achieving good grades will help him realise his dreams.
“I think it’s vital. It’s really good. Finishing matric, getting this exposure, it’s really helpful for a person who wants to take basketball seriously and go overseas with it… Getting this recognition really helps. It gets my profile out there, and they see who I am as a basketball player and a person,” said Swanepoel, who took up basketball during the lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After getting hooked on hoops, he traded in his goalkeeping gloves for a basketball, and he has not looked back. And when he started High School, the preferred institution had to, of course, have basketball.
“I started to develop my love for basketball during COVID at home in 2020 when I had nothing to do. We had a hoop at home, and I started playing in our driveway, and it grew on me,” said Swanepoel. “I wanted to go to a school that has basketball, and my parents would always tease me that they would send me to boarding school when I was naughty at home.
“I started looking into it and realised boarding school was not so bad. We applied at Boys High, I got into boarding school there and continued playing basketball at grade eight, and in grade nine I made it to the U15 provincial team (in 2024), and I was captain of the team. That’s when I knew I had a future in the sport.”
Marloe Swanepoel has enjoyed team and individual success on the court. Pictures: DUEP
He has already begun the process of fulfilling his ambition of pursuing basketball and education abroad.
“We are currently working with BRUSA; they are helping us to get in contact with colleges in the US. We are also looking at gap year programs to help me develop academically and athletically. Even if I can enter college without a gap year programme, that would be great,” said Swanepoel.
While Swanepoel harbours big dreams, he knows a lot of work lies ahead to reach them. This being his final year of school, how does he manage a hectic academic schedule that includes exams and a playing schedule?
“It’s about having a balance of everything. It’s something I am used to. I have always been busy with sports and school,” said Swanepoel. Having started soccer before playing basketball, I have always been busy athletically, while having academic pressure.”
He credits being a boarder at Boys’ High for giving him the discipline he needs to stay on track academically.
“I think staying at hostel also helps, where there is an allocated time to study. So I don’t have the option of shying away from studying. So it’s about having a good balance of everything… Going to your practices, getting that out of the way and getting back to hostel, focusing on academics and doing what needs to be done. Obviously, academics have a big impact on college applications and marks do matter,” said Swanepoel.
Marloe Swanepoel will be part of DUEP’s quest for the national title.
He reflected on the Africa Grassroots Hoops Youth Classic Basketball Tournament in Cape Town, where his feats led the Durban-based DUEP club to the championship and he landed the MVP crown.
“It was an honour to be named MVP with all the talent and skill at the tournament. There were a lot of really good players at the tournament. The team… We performed really well. It was our first tournament together, and we went undefeated in the tournament was good for us,” said Swanepoel. “It showed all the talent and skill we had. We came together as one even though we did not have a lot of chemistry. Our skills and talent really helped us.”
His abilities have not gone unnoticed within the DUEP structures, as he has since graduated to the senior team, and he will be part of the KwaZulu-Natal team’s challenge at the 2026 National Club Championships. The championships, scheduled for late August, will serve as qualifiers for the Road to BAL.
JCA Kings are living up to the latter part of their name after yet another dominant season. The Kings retained two of their domestic crowns this season and added another (the Super Cup), reaffirming their basketball dominance in Côte d’Ivoire for another year.
A player who has led from the front in what is a golden two years for JCA is veteran player Ulrich Kra, whose career is laden with success. He says this demanded a lot from the team, as domestic and continental campaigns needed Kra and his teammates to be at their sharpest.
Balancing domestic and continental ambition
The “long season”, as described by Kra, proved successful for him and JCA as they retained the Ligue d’Or title they won last season and the national cup. Kra says the key element of their Ligue d’Or title defence in June was the quality of the squad, with experienced players like Christopher Crawford and national team teammate Jonathan Cisse helping carry the team. He also detailed how the domestic and continental commitments exacted a physical toll on the team.
“I’m proud of winning this title. It was back-to-back, and secondly, it was a long season. A long, long season,” said Kra, nine-time league champion. “Last year, we went to the Road to BAL in Abidjan and then the Elite 16 in Praia. We then came back home for the new season, and then had to travel to Rabat for the BAL.
Ulrich Kra and JCA had a longer-than-usual season. Pictures: FIBA Africa
“So it was a long, long season, and there were some small injuries, but at the end of the day, we got to the final against ABC, a really good team, but guys like Jonathan Cisse stepped up, and we kept our title.”
For any player, facing a former club in a final or finals, those moments can elicit certain feelings, and for Kra, who had enjoyed success with ABC, it was no different. Still, he and JCA found a way to stay on mission against a team entering the finals series with a perfect regular-season record.
“Of course, ABC were my last team before I came to JCA. So, I was a little nervous before the game because the previous season, we won the title against SOA. This time it was ABC, so we were very focused for the final. Our main goal was to fight till the end,” said Kra. “ABC won all their games. They were 22-0, so we had to fight, it was the only way. And it how we got the title.”
Lessons from the BAL
Just before their Ligue d’Or title defence, JCA made their BAL debut this year, and they endured a horrendous campaign, bowing out with a 0-5 record in the Sahara Conference. While the BAL was forgettable, the exposure to that level of competition set JCA up for unprecedented domestic success.
Kra, who was appearing for the second time in the BAL, concurs that competing against top-tier clubs from the continent jump-started their pursuit of a second league title.
“This season was long, as I said. We were in different competitions, the national cup, the league and the BAL. When you play a team like Club Africain, who have good players like Omar Abada and a club like Al Ahly of Egypt, you will return with big experience. We learnt from our mistakes over there, and when we came back for the league and cup. And we did our best in those competitions.”
Ulrich Kra, centre, celebrates the Ligue d’Or title with his teammates.
Learning from a legend
Kra paid homage to his former teammate at ABC Fighters and his current JCA coach, Stephane Konate, who is decorated as a player and is turning the club into a force in Côte d’Ivoire.
“When you play for a team like JCA, and you have a coach like Stèphane Konatè, it’s a big chance for young players and me to succeed. We have a lot of confidence in him,” said Kra.
“He is like a father figure to me. When I was young, I watched him on TV. He brought me to ABC, and we played together for about nine seasons. I learnt everything from him.”
While he continues to learn from a mentor who has become a respected coach, Kra has led on the court and helped JCA achieve their unprecedented success. As captain of the team, how has Kra, the 2024-2025 Ligue d’Or MVP, taken to the leadership role in the last two seasons?
“In Africa, it’s hard to defend your title. So when you get to training, you have to work hard every morning and every night. As the captain, I always try to do my best in training. To motivate the young players to give all they can and play with good energy and fighting spirit to win games or a final,” said Kra.
JCA will return to the Road to BAL, and Kra, who has played in five of the continental qualifiers, looks forward to the upcoming challenge.
“We did a good job (at last year’s Road to BAL), but we fell short at the BAL. So some work still has to be done. We have to try to get the best import players and do our best to get back to the BAL,” said Kra.
Ulrich Kra and the Elephants know the road will be more difficult in the next round of the FIBA World Cup Africa Qualifiers.
World Cup ambitions
The continued success of JCA has seen Kra earn a recall to the national team after last competing for the Elephants at the 2023 AfroCan. During the 2027 FIBA World Cup Africa Qualifiers, Kra averaged 6.2 points and 1.2 rebounds as the Ivorians, who were in Group B with Senegal, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Madagascar, progressed with a 5-1 record to the next round (in Group F), where they will face Mali, Angola and Egypt. Joining them in Group F are also the DRC and Senegal.
Having already faced Senegal and Congo in the earlier rounds, the Ivorians, who carry 11 points into the next round and a second-place ranking in the new group, face Angola, Egypt, and Mali. Despite his country’s solid positioning, Kra says they face a tough task.
“I am very satisfied with our result on the last two windows. I think we did a good job getting to this position today… And we will have to make more of an effort against nations like Egypt, Angola and Mali because it will be more difficult,” said Kra. “Especially against Angola and Mali. For me, they are the two best teams on the continent at the moment. We will have to work even harder and represent our country to the best of our ability,” said Kra.
AFTER two seasons in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) and a stint in Germany, Johannesburg centre David Craig has landed with the Vanta Black Dragons. The Big Tip Off takes a closer look at his journey and the expectations surrounding the 7-foot-3 South African ahead of the Asian Tournament.
Craig from Johannesburg has signed with the Vanta Black Dragons of Hong Kong, where he will compete in The Asian Tournament (TAT) and begin the next chapter in a professional journey that has already spanned three countries and two continents in just over a year.
Building his reputation in the BAL
What the Vanta Black Dragons are acquiring is far more than exceptional size. They are adding a player with a highly defined and valuable skill set built around the fundamentals of winning basketball.
His BAL journey began with Made By Ball (MBB) during Season 5, when he became the tallest player in league history.
David Craig is heading east to further his playing career. Pictures: The BTO
He returned for Season 6 with the Johannesburg Giants, averaging six points and six rebounds in only 15 minutes per game while competing against top-calibre opposition. Reflecting on his time in the BAL, Craig says the experience was “very solid” in terms of his production and efficiency, but he believes he could have reached another level.
“I think there was still another level I could have gone to, but that’s also a symptom of playing for a losing team,” he says. “And when your team (Giants) doesn’t make the necessary adjustments it needs to, it’s a lot harder than it seems to then level up as an individual.”
Aiming to set the scene alight
Craig now joins a Vanta Black Dragons side that has quickly become one of Asia’s emerging basketball powers. Based in Hong Kong, the Dragons compete in The Asian Tournament, a premier continental competition that crowned them 2026 TAT Leg 1 champions in Chengdu.
Held annually from April through October, TAT features a unique multi-leg format hosted across some of Asia’s leading basketball cities, including Chengdu, Laizhou, Manila and Beijing.
The tournament brings together elite clubs and world-class players from the continent’s strongest professional leagues alongside distinguished international teams, with each leg culminating in knockout rounds and a championship final. Every event is streamed live on YouTube.
For Craig, the move represents a much-needed change of environment. “I’m just excited to be in a lot more organised and a lot more of an efficient style of play,” he says. “Playing with other imports and playing with other guys that have travelled the world and are seasoned professionals, as well as playing with the other local players who know and understand the game very well.”
David Craig is ready to raise his game in Asia.
He is particularly encouraged by the technical quality of his new teammates. “I think fundamentally they are quite sound and can shoot the ball very well, because that’s generally speaking something that is fundamentally very important to the game in this part of the world. And so that’s going to be a breath of fresh air.”
Despite the frustrations of his recent BAL campaign, which saw the Giants go winless on home soil, Craig is looking ahead with optimism.
“I think all in all, though, I’m just happy to be able to spread my wings again,” he says. “I think it’s going to be a necessary refresh after a very frustrating time with the Giants.”
Eyes on the debut
Craig is set to join the Dragons from the third leg, scheduled for 20–26 July in Passi, Philippines.
VINCENT Masiyano has been a burgeoning talent in his country’s basketball scene, and when you follow his progress, he looks to be on a path to fulfilling the promise of his abilities.
Masiyano, whose talents were partly nurtured and honed by the Brave Hearts, has already experienced career milestones. After joining the senior team in 2024, Masiyano, who is still in his teens, already has two BASMAL national titles to his name.
The 17-year-old had the privilege of suiting up for the six national champions at the Road to BAL, notching up a double-double (10 points and 10 rebounds) against Matero Magic in a final Elite 16 group game, which they lost 78-71.
Speaking to The Big Tip Off on Friday, a few days (Tuesday, 16 June) after winning the men’s U18 Soweto Uprising tournament final and being crowned MVP, Masiyano, who joined the club in 2021 from Likuni Clippers, reflected on Brave Hearts’ success in South Africa and the future.
“We trained for like two weeks for the tournament (Soweto Uprising), before I left with the senior team for Kenya. Coach said if we want to be recognised, we have to win this tournament. So one of the things we did was play good defence, and we made our shots… It feels great for us, it was our first international as a youth team, so we had to play good. We had to play good,” said Masiyano.
Vincent Masiyano was a standout player at the recent Soweto Uprising tournament. Pictures: The BTO
He gave a pointed answer on winning the tournament’s MVP accolade. “I was very excited to be part of the team, and I did not let my teammates down,” said Masiyano.
Having helped Brave Hearts clinch a historic sixth men’s club championship, he looks forward to having another Road to BAL run. Before discussing the upcoming Road to BAL, he spoke about the nerves he felt and what helped him settle in his first qualifiers for the Basketball Africa League.
“It felt great playing. I missed out two years ago because of my age, so it was great to be part of the team last year,” said Masiyano. “I felt scared because I was on the big stage, but Faad (Billy) told me, ‘Just free your mind, you will be good’. I did that, and it turned out good.”
Being one of the youngest players on the club, he looks to star guard Billy as an inspiration and credits him as one of the reasons he joined Brave Hearts.
“Yes, he is my role model. He’s got good handles, and he is very confident on the court. He is also friendly with us, his teammates,” said Billy.
Vincent Masiyano in action against Cape Elite Soweto Uprising.
Masiyano says the exposure to top-level competition has done wonders for his game. “I have improved my rebounding, blocks and going aggressive to the rim. In the Road to BAL, the players are taller, so you have to find a way around that,” said Masiyano.
Masiyano, who is in his matric year, will return with Brave Hearts to the Road to BAL after the successful defence of their domestic title. As the Malawian giants begin their preparation for the Zone VI qualifiers, he feels Brave Hearts will be more impactful this year.
“We are ready for it. We lost all our games (in the Elite 16). Now we must be ready,” said Masiyano.
THE upcoming BAL semifinals have familiar clubs and a new one debuting with a bang. Al Ahly of Egypt and Petro de Luanda are former champions, while Libya’s Al Ahly have been down this road, while Rwanda’s RSSB have had a memorable debut.
The Big Tip Off previews the match-ups taking place on Wednesday and Thursday at Kigali’s BK Arena.
Last season’s finalists, Petro de Luanda and the high-scoring Al Ahly Libya, renew their growing rivalry in a rematch of the 2024 BAL Final. While Rwanda’s RSSB Tigers take on former champions Al Ahly Egypt for a place in the title game.
With a place in the championship game and a ticket to the FIBA Intercontinental Cup on the line, the next two nights at BK Arena will be decided by more than talent alone. Experience, composure, and the ability to handle pressure when the margins get thin will shape which two teams move one step closer to continental glory.
Petro de Luanda vs Al Ahly Libya
This semifinal is a rematch of the 2024 BAL Final, the night Petro de Luanda lifted their first BAL crown at the expense of the Libyan upstarts. Two years later, the Angolan dynasty meets a reinvented Al Ahly Ly side that has transformed from runners-up into the most explosive offensive force in the competition.
The Angolan champions are the only team to have reached the BAL semifinals in all six seasons of the league’s existence. In the quarterfinals, they faced Tanzania’s Dar City, where they suffered an 88-80 defeat in the first leg. In the second leg, however, they responded like seasoned champions, producing a commanding 83-69 victory to overturn the aggregate score and book a sixth straight semifinal appearance.
The Libyan side enters the semifinal as the highest-scoring team in BAL 2026, averaging more than 100 points per game during the conference phase. The Libyans won their two-legged quarterfinal series against Club Africain 88-87 and 98-80.
Petro de Luanda got the better of Al Ahly in the 2024 final and recent Conference stage in Pretoria. Pictures: BAL and The BTO
One of the biggest X-factors in this semifinal could be the contrast in depth and player workload. Petro’s bench completely dominated Dar City in the quarterfinals, outscoring them 51-16 in the first game and 34-5 in the second, highlighting the Angolans’ ability to maintain intensity through constant rotation.
In contrast, Al Ahly Ly relied heavily on their starters during their series against Club Africain, with each starter averaging around 34 minutes per game. While the Libyan side possesses the most explosive offence in BAL 2026, their heavy reliance on the starting unit could become a factor late in the game if Petro succeeds in slowing the tempo and turning the semifinal into a physical battle of endurance.
RSSB Tigers vs Al Ahly (Cairo)
RSSB Tigers survived a quarterfinal battle against Morocco’s FUS Rabat to secure their place in the semifinals. The Rwandan side laid the foundation for qualification with a dominant 95-72 victory in the opening game, giving themselves a comfortable cushion heading into the second game. However, in the second game, the Tigers were pushed to the limit, narrowly falling 99-98 in a tense encounter.
Despite the defeat, the one-point margin was not enough for FUS Rabat to overturn the heavy first-game deficit, allowing the Tigers to advance on aggregate and continue their remarkable BAL campaign.
Nuni Omot, the BAL 2024 BAL MVP, is back with Al Ahly for the playoffs.
Al Ahly Egypt delivered a classic quarter-final comeback to secure their place in the BAL 2026 semi-finals. After falling 93-90 to Senegal’s ASC Ville de Dakar in the first game, they returned in game two with a commanding 87-76 victory to overturn the aggregate score and continue their pursuit of a second BAL title.
The Egyptian champions will need to contain Craig Randall II’s offensive production, as the Tigers look noticeably different without him. In their only loss against Nairobi City Thunder, Randall did not play. The American guard is currently averaging 37.7 points per game and played 40 minutes in the second game of the quarterfinals.
The rebounding presence of Mangok Mathiang and Oumar Ballo is another factor the Egyptians will need to manage.
It will be interesting to see whether Al Ahly Egypt will shoot from the outside, as they attempted only 8 three-pointers in the second game, making only 3. The inside defensive presence of Mathiang and Ballo in the paint might force them to.
Another area where the Tigers get points is off turnovers; they stole the ball 10 times in the second game of the quarterfinals series and scored 27 points off those turnovers. So the Egyptians will have to take care of the basketball.
Rebounding is another area the Egyptians should take advantage of because the Tigers shoot a lot from outside. However, they shot only 31% and 32% from beyond the arc in games one and two of the quarterfinals, respectively. So the Egyptians can capitalise on their misses.
AS the Basketball Africa League (BAL) switches gears from conference play to the Playoffs in Kigali, it is no surprise that one of the eight teams that have punched their ticket to the heart of Africa is Al Ahly Egypt.
On a roster built around experience, continuity, and championship ambition sits a player whose journey began at the opposite end of the continent: Osayimwen Osifo.
The South African forward, part of the Austin Spurs, the developmental affiliate of the San Antonio Spurs, entered the Basketball Africa League this season through the league’s collaboration with the NBA’s development pipeline. In a tournament defined by condensed schedules and immediate expectations, Osifo carved out a role built on impact rather than volume, finishing as the Egyptian side’s leading rebounder at 6.6 rebounds per game, alongside 7.8 points and 1.6 blocks across the Sahara Conference.
His most complete performance came against the Maktown Flyers: 20 points, eight rebounds, two blocks, an outing that highlighted his ability to influence both ends of the floor within a system that prioritises efficiency and discipline.
In an interview with The Big Tip Off, Osifo discussed his introduction to basketball, his experience with the Austin Spurs, and his introduction and impressions of the BAL.
Osayi Osifo has quickly adapted to the pace of the BAL. Pictures: The BAL
The Sport That Found Him
Growing up in South Africa, the sporting ambitions of most boys pointed in a very specific direction. “You want to be good at soccer, cricket, rugby and track,” Osifo says. “Those are the things that are going to give you clout.” He was no different. At Potchefstroom Boys High School, he had found genuine traction in athletics and rugby, competing at a national level, his afternoons accounted for. Then a finger injury sidelined him mid-season, leaving a gap in his schedule to fill.
The school had one basketball court, old, built around 1960, fitted with a single hoop. With one arm still in a cast, he went out there. He played against the boys who typically occupied the court, and something clicked, not through effort, but through ease. “I noticed, like a natural instinct, I was better than most of the guys I was playing with.” For a young man who had worked hard for every breakthrough in athletics and rugby, finding something that came naturally felt like a different kind of gift.
Once the cast came off, he found himself falling in love with the game. He started to experience a significant growth spurt, quickly becoming the tallest boy in his class and eventually the tallest in the entire school. This transformation came just in time for a visit from his uncle from Dallas, a man who saw his nephew and recognised the potential that the South African system was ill-equipped to nurture. Within months, Osifo developed a plan: finish tenth grade, move to Texas, and explore the possibilities that basketball could offer him.
The conversation at home
It is worth pausing on what that conversation must have looked like at home. African parents carry a particular reputation when it comes to their children’s futures. The script usually reads: medicine, law, or engineering, and deviating from it requires either remarkable courage or remarkable evidence. Osifo is measured about it. “My parents have always supported me,” he says. “Going to the States, I think they knew that in what I wanted to do, there was a big opportunity.” But something is telling in how quickly he adds what came next: “I really wanted it for myself, to make something out of the opportunity I was given.”
The acknowledgement that the opportunity had to be earned, not just given, suggests he understood what was at stake for the people who had backed him. He left in December 2015. In January 2016, he was suiting up for Junior Varsity at McKinney Boyd High School in Dallas, which gave him a taste of humility. “I thought I was really confident,” he says. “But when I came to the States, I definitely got humbled, just having to learn the basics and going from streetball to organised basketball.”
What followed were hours after school, patience from coaches, and the slow work of converting instinct into technical fluency. By the following year, he was on varsity. “It’s always been a learning process,” he says. “Even when you watch my games, I’m still making mistakes.”
Osayi Osifo is ready to help Al Ahly win a second BAL title.
Building inside the Spurs system
After college, Osifo entered the NBA’s development ecosystem through the Austin Spurs, widely regarded as one of the most aligned pipelines in the G League. The environment offered exposure to NBA-level coaching, high-density talent pools, and a culture built around incremental improvement. “It’s one of the best organisations in the world,” he says. His time in the system included playoff runs, summer league appearances, and training camp exposure, one season culminating in a franchise-high win total. Osifo has since become co-captain, and even now, he still resists framing any of it as finished.
All eyes on Al Ahly
Since graduating from college, Osifo had wanted to play in the Basketball Africa League. An earlier opportunity with a South African team had come and gone without materialising, interest from the Cape Town Tigers in the league’s early days that never quite aligned. However, the pathway remained open, particularly through the G League’s integration with BAL rosters, and this season, through Al Ahly, everything converged.
The process is not entirely within a player’s hands. The G League makes the pool known to eligible teams. Players whose domestic seasons have concluded can enter their names, and clubs select based on fit, timing, and mutual interest. Several teams across both conferences expressed interest in Osifo, but contracts had to align, and the timing had to work. “The last team to reach out to me was Al Ahly,” he shared. “I spoke with the coaches. The staff is great. And the championship mentality they have, that’s something I wanted to be a part of.” He signed within a week of the deadline and was on his way to join the North African side.
What Osifo found when he arrived was not what development basketball had prepared him for. The BAL is not a league particularly built around patience with young players. It is built around professionals, men with international résumés, years of competitive repetition, and very little interest in waiting for anyone to find their feet. “In this league, 30 is a very young age,” Osifo says. “You’re playing against vets. You can’t teach experience.”
His role inside Al Ahly’s system reflected that reality. This was not about developmental upside or long-term projection; it was about functional contribution, immediately. Defensive presence, rebounding, energy off the bench or from the start, whatever the game demanded. “It’s requiring a certain level of professionalism,” he shared. Preparation had been deliberate even before the conference began: a training camp in Egypt where time was treated as a scarce resource. “We were really intentional: meals together, video sessions, everything.” Al Ahly’s objective was clear from the get-go. “Championship.”
Osayi Osifo says support from family and friends has meant everything to him.
Into the water
His introduction to the Sahara Conference play came against Club Africain, and it announced him in the way that matters most at this level, physically. A powerful dunk early in the game rippled across broadcast and social platforms, the kind of moment that tells a league you are here. But the result was a narrow loss, and Osifo is honest about what that first game actually was. “It was really just throwing us into the water,” he says. “Testing us.”
The response was what separated Al Ahly from a team still assembling itself. Adjustments were made quickly, defensive structure tightened, communication became sharper, and roles became clearer. “We’re learning each other on the fly,” he says. By the time the conference concluded, the work had translated into results: a playoff berth secured, Kigali confirmed, Al Ahly’s position as one of the tournament’s genuine contenders intact.
If you can make it out here
Osifo had followed the league from a distance for years. He had wanted to be part of it since college. And now that he is inside it, the verdict is unambiguous. “It’s blown it out of the water,” he says. “The competition level, the professionalism, the fans, it feels like playoffs every night.”
There is something about the BAL’s intensity that is difficult to prepare for without experiencing it. The margins are thin. The format leaves no room for gradual warming up. And the visibility, within Africa and increasingly beyond it, is real in a way that changes how the games feel. “If you can make it out here,” Osifo says, “you can make it anywhere.”
When asked what he is most proud of, Osifo does not reach for statistics or milestones but instead points to something which carried him from his earliest days. “The resilience,” he says. “And the support I had from back home.” The school, the friends, the family that kept him tethered to where he started, even as the distance grew. “If not for the support of family, different people from different walks of life, it’s all about togetherness. That’s something I learned from back home.”
From Potchefstroom to Texas, from the G League to the BAL playoffs, the journey has not followed a single system. It was a series of crossings, each one demanding a different kind of adaptation, highlighting that where you start is not a limitation on how far you can go.
RUEBEN Chinyelu speaks proudly of being Nigerian and of flying his country’s flag on the NCAA stage. It’s a path several of his compatriots have walked, but Chinyelu is distinguished by winning an NCAA championship and earning individual accolades with his college team, the Florida Gators.
The 6ft10 (2,08m) forward follows a path first navigated by Nigeria-born NBA legend Hakeem Olajuwon, who went through the American college system and won two NBA titles with the Houston Rockets in the mid-90s. It’s a legacy Chinyelu celebrates, and he hopes to be on the same stage where Olajuwan’s name once illuminated.
Speaking to The Big Tip Off via the Zoom platform at his Florida base, he reflected on the court life lessons he learnt before tasting success with the Gators and acclimating to life far away from home.
“It feels good to leave home, enter a new environment, and represent your country abroad. I am proud of where I come from, and knowing that legends like Hakeem Olajuwon dominated, and I am doing my part… That is beautiful,” Chinyelu said. “I aim to represent my country and embrace being Nigerian. I’m grateful to be Nigerian.”
Stormy days in Washington
Before becoming a Gator in 2024, the NBA Africa Academy alumnus spent a season at Washington State, where he committed a year earlier. Off his time in the US capital, he says he learnt resilience, especially when things did not go according to script.
“It’s another side of the country. It’s really cold. Lucky for me, I have adaptive skills, which allowed me to settle in a different environment, and that was an anchor for me. It helped me get through that time,” said Chinyelu. “Washington played a huge part in my growth… Just learning to be resilient. Knowing things are not always going to be rosy. There will be storms and sunshine. And through it all, you have to stay the course.
“I think Washington prepared me for where I am right now. Every other part of my journey, even before Washington State, also contributed to where I am now. From Nigeria, where I started playing basketball, to the NBA Academy (Senegal) and playing in the BAL. Without those experiences, I would not be successful.”
Rueben Chinyelu says the Gators family environment fuelled the team’s and his success. Pictures: Hannah White and Maddie Washburn
Striking gold with the Gators
Chinyelu’s two years at Florida were a golden period of his college career, from a team and individual perspective. Looking back on Florida’s NCAA championship run, which was the university’s third basketball title, Chinyelu says that the success was due to the “family environment” built within the team. It’s a culture that permeated the team this year.
“When we won the championship, it was so wonderful. All the work put in… Seeing guys happy, wanting to play together and celebrating one another’s success was key for us. It kept us going. It kept us thriving, no matter the circumstances. Our team chemistry last year was unmatched,” said Chinyelu. “It was just a family environment. Everybody loves each other. We check on one another. It’s like one big family. Things like that make a difference… Because we have guys coming from different parts of the world, and giving them a family environment plays a huge part in the team being successful.”
While the Gators fell short of the exploits which saw them win the NCAA title last year, Chinyelu intimated that the family dynamic within the team allowed him to have an outstanding season this year (2025-2026), leading to him scooping five individual awards: SEC All-Defensive Team, Second-team All-SEC, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, NABC Defensive Player of the Year and Naismith Defensive Player of the Year.
“This year was no different. Everyone enjoyed playing together. It’s just that it was a breakout for me. I worked hard and did all I could,” said Chinyelu. “When it comes to winning the individual stuff, it was my teammates and them playing well with me, and the way I play with them. For any player to be successful, it’s the collective. Basketball is a five-man game. I would not have done it without them, so I share those awards with the team. They are our awards.”
Rueben Chinyelu hopes his time at the Gators can open the doors to the NBA.
Eyes on a bigger prize
His season had already ended, and after the interview with The Big Tip Off, he announced that he was declaring for this year’s NBA draft (set for June 24), while keeping the option to return to college. While he returned to college after declaring last year, this time around, he seems confident of a future in the NBA.
“Once I make it to the league. I want to be able to play long in the league,” said Chinyelu. “Once I am done, I want to help shine a light on Africa. Even if it’s to help create infrastructure or give back to the community. There is a ton of talent in Africa, but a lack of opportunity and resources. So once I am in a good position, I want to do everything I can.”
Chinyelu continued: “You have to start somewhere. You know how it is. If it is difficult here, in Africa, it’s 200 times more difficult. So that is why I want to do as much as I can for the African continent to help pave a way for another generation.”
Should he realise the dream of playing in the NBA, Chinyelu would join former NBA Academy Alumni and teammates Ulrich Chomche from Cameroon and South Sudan’s Khaman Maluach in being drafted to the elite league. On Maluach, a 10th pick in last year’s NBA Draft, Chinyelu recalled the work they put in together during the Academy days and how fate did not allow their colleges to face off in the NCAA final. Maluach’s Duke team fell short against the losing finalist, the Houston Cougars.
“Last year, when we made the final four, I was hoping I would play Khaman (in the final),” said Chinyelu. “He is my guy. We played together at the Academy for some years. So, I hoped he would make it to the final. It was going to be so much fun.
“I am so happy he got drafted. Super happy. Super proud of him because I remember the late-night and early morning work we put in to get better. That moment meant a lot. Not just for me, but the academy as well. I am proud of him.”
Chinyelu’s heart is in the right place, and whatever decision he makes to either return to Gainesville, Florida, for his final year of college or to pursue an NBA career, his story of resilience and adaptation is an example to follow.
AMERICAN-born Jonathan Cisse had grown up without his father for most of his life, so when he met him for the first time two years ago in Côte d’Ivoire, as stated in a social media post, it proved life-changing on two fronts. It was a chance for him to build a relationship with his father, who is from Côte d’Ivoire, and it opened doors for his playing career in the West African country. The 26-year-old has since become part of Côte d’Ivoire’s basketball fabric, having donned the Elephant’s orange jumper in March at the 2027 World Cup Africa Qualifiers in Senegal. He continued his club career on the continent with JCA Kings, whom he helped qualify for the BAL last year, and he is part of their ongoing BAL debut campaign. This meaningful personal milestone also intersected with his growing career. Reflecting on this turning point, he says that meeting his father was “perfect timing”, and it became a launchpad for his basketball journey on the continent. “It was special. Just growing up my whole life, not knowing my dad… It was perfect timing when I met him,” said Cisse. “I was coming out of college, starting my professional career. He kind of mentioned at first that I should look into playing for the national team.” In addition to his father’s encouragement, he says playing in Europe drew the attention of the national team selectors.
Jonathan Cisse made his debut for Côte d’Ivoire at the World Cup Qualifiers. Pictures: FIBA and Getty
Looking back on the lead-up before his debut, Cisse explained, “First year in Cyprus (2024-25 season) opened the doors. People started noticing my game. The director of the Ivorian national team said, ‘maybe you should consider’. This year, it finally happened,” said Cisse. “It was an honour when it finally happened, and seeing what it means to the people of the country. It was a special experience.” On the court, Cisse finally made his debut for Côte d’Ivoire this year after missing out on the AfroBasket last year. He was part of the exceptional Elephants team, which went on a tear in the second window of the World Cup Africa Qualifiers, finishing with a 3-0 record in Group B. The fine start to the campaign has Cisse eager to continue the national team’s momentum in the next round of qualifiers (2-5 July in Senegal). “I’m looking forward to the next window. I think we have a very solid team. It’s been great. My experience of missing the (2025) AfroBasket was disappointing. I was not cleared in time to play after getting to know and train with everybody,” said Cisse, who averaged 14 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3 assists in the second window between February 26 and March 1. “Now that I have played with them and everybody knows each other, I am excited. I think we can do something special. I am excited for what’s to come.” For Cisse, turning out for the JCA Kings led to him picking up the finer points of the game in Africa from legendary player and current club coach Stéphane Konaté. “It’s a different style of basketball from what I am used to, but it’s been great just doing what I love, which is playing basketball. I am having fun with it, working hard on and off the court, so I can continue to grow as a player and as a teammate,” said Cisse. “I am learning from Coach Steph. I know he had a great career with the national team. He’s been helping out a lot too, so it’s been a great experience.”
Jonathan Cisse still holds hope JCA can make the playoffs.
What has been forgettable so far is their BAL debut, as JCA fell 0-3 in the Sahara Conference, which has heightened the pressure on Cisse and his teammates to win their two remaining games so they can have a chance of qualifying for the playoffs in Kigali. Before the tip-off of the Sahara Conference, Cisse said the team was looking forward to their debut. “I think it’s good spirits… The practices have been intense. High level. We have been going at it and stuff. I think everybody is excited to make their debut,” said Cisse. “I think we are going to shock a lot of people. I know not many people are expecting us to do much, but we are excited, hungry, and everybody is ready to show what we can do.” Things have not gone according to script, but Cisse has not lost hope of a place in the playoffs despite a third loss in a row, a 79-74 defeat to Club Africain on Tuesday, in which he scored 30 points and dished out 7 assists. “We still have two games left. We need to keep our heads high. We are not satisfied. We are gonna come out and compete in these next two games,” said Cisse of JCA’s dire situation at the post-match press conference. Like in life, Cisse understands there are highs and lows, and the latter times require a team with unshakable resolve to overcome adversity.
AS the Basketball Africa League’s Sahara Conference begins on Friday, a blend of new talent, well-known players, and pivotal moments will take centre stage. It will also be the setting of an historic moment. For one individual in particular, this occasion signifies the continuation of a journey that has already unfolded across multiple chapters.
Stéphane Konaté, who previously played for the ABC Fighters, returns to the BAL, but this time in a different role –é as head coach of Côte d’Ivoire’s JCA Kings.
This transition showcases how competing in the league can lead to leadership opportunities, influencing not only his own career path but also the direction of the team he now oversees.
Understanding the BAL as a Player
Before stepping into the role of a coach, Konaté gained valuable experience as a player in the Basketball Africa League (BAL). That experience continues to influence his approach to the game today. He views the BAL as the highest level of club basketball on the continent, a platform where ambition, preparation, and performance converge.
His participation in the BAL was crucial as he neared the end of his playing career. It represented not only an opportunity to compete but also a chance to immerse himself in the experience.
“The BAL is the biggest club competition in Africa. To participate in this competition as a player was an accomplishment for me,” he stated. “I was told my career was ending, but I wanted to take part in this competition.”
What stood out most to him during this time was the importance of mindset. He emphasises that his focus was on enjoyment rather than pressure.
Stéphane Konaté has enjoyed a meteoric rise in his coaching career. Pictures: BAL
“My biggest challenge was to enjoy the experience… Doing well both on and off the court. I truly enjoyed it as a player,” he reflected. “As a coach, I encourage my players to enjoy every moment and to be happy playing in those conditions. When you do, everything falls into place.”
This philosophy now guides how he leads from the sidelines.
From the Court to the Sidelines
Konaté’s journey in the BAL will come full circle this week as he transitions from player to coach. This change brings not only personal pride but also significant responsibility as he takes on his new role on the sidelines. Embracing this change, Konate gains a renewed perspective that reflects the evolving landscape of African club basketball.
“An African competition is still a competition,” he stated. “So we have to compete and fight.”
With his unique background, Konaté understands the demands of the game and the mindset required for success, drawing heavily from his experiences on the court. Konaté’s lived experience gives him an advantage, especially in navigating the intensity of the BAL, where a high volume of games in a short period leaves little room for error.
Each game serves as both a lesson and a test, providing immediate feedback while exposing vulnerabilities that could be exploited on the court of play.
For him, this moment represents not an endpoint but rather the next chapter in his relationship with basketball in Africa. Transitioning from player to coach involves more than just knowledge of the game; it requires the ability to translate past experiences into valuable guidance for younger players.
“It is a great joy and pride to be the first to play in the BAL and to return to the competition as a coach. It is a great opportunity for me as well,” he said, highlighting the significance of his journey. “I draw inspiration from all the experiences I’ve acquired during my career,” he explained.
With this foundation, he aims to motivate his players to give their best and navigate the challenges of high-level competition.
Shaping JCA After the Road to BAL
When Konate took over JCA, the situation was far from straightforward. With only a short time to prepare before the season began, he had to quickly establish structure, identity, and belief within the group. Despite the limited preparation, the team responded well, ultimately winning the national championship and successfully navigating the Road to BAL, which led to their qualification through the Elite 16 West Division.
In the months since the Road to BAL, JCA’s focus has shifted to maintaining sharpness and momentum during the extended break, which can often be a challenge for teams with limited time to adjust to the demands of the BAL.
“Since the Road to BAL, this team has remained united, strong, and disciplined,” he said. “The preparation has gone well, and the management has implemented the necessary means to ensure everything runs smoothly.”
Konate is particularly encouraged by the balance within the squad, which combines experienced players with young talent. He believes this mix is essential to their identity.
“This team is doing well,” he said. “We have a blend of experienced players and several young players, and it’s working effectively.”
For him, the key aspect is not just individual talent but the collective chemistry among the players. “The strength of this team lies in its chemistry,” he said.
Stephané Konaté wants his team to savour their BAL debut.
A Young Team On A Big Stage
With four tickets to Kigali available, JCA have as good a chance as any to book their place in the next phase. For a young group, many of whom are experiencing this level for the first time, the learning curve will be steep.
Coming in as debutants, however, also offers a subtle advantage. With no established expectations weighing on them, JCA have the freedom to define themselves on their own terms, playing with expression, belief, and the identity that carried them through qualification.
Konate is realistic about the demands ahead, but he frames them as an opportunity rather than a limitation. Pressure exists, but so does belief.
“All I wish for this young team is to give the best of themselves, and not regret it afterwards,” he shared.
He acknowledges the difficulty of competing at this level, particularly for inexperienced players, but sees it as part of their development.
“There’s always pressure,” he says. “We are a young team with a lot of young players who are participating for the first time in such a competition in a very high conference, it’s normal.”
Still, his message remains anchored in confidence: “But we believe in it,” he said. “This is an opportunity for these young people to prove what they’re worth.”
For Konate, it’s what the BAL represents at its core, not just competition, but transition, growth, and opportunity. From player to coach, his journey continues, now shaped by the responsibility of guiding others through the same path he once walked himself.
WHEN great basketball careers become the top of the discussion in the African continent, the name Abdelhakim Zouita cannot be left out. The Moroccan is the embodiment of what it means to build a legacy of greatness throughout one’s playing career.
His career has spanned over 20 years, and he is still going strong. When asked about turning 40 this year, he stressed he was still far from the big four-zero. “Just 39,” laughed FUS Rabat captain Zouita. “For now, I am just 39.”
While the question factored the legend’s advancing age, it had a caveat. What made the legendary Moroccan hooper hungry and wanting more? “I want to win more titles. I want to achieve more success. To give young kids and other basketball players a good image of Moroccan basketball,” said Zouita.
There is no better ambassador of the game in Morocco and possibly Africa than Zouita, whose career has produced continental trophies for his country and former club AS Salé. On the domestic scene, he has won 10 Division Excellence and 12 Coupe de Trone titles. And he still craves more success. It’s a craving which, over the past couple of seasons, has found resonance within the FUS Rabat club.
Zouita says the desire to win is part of the club’s DNA, and that championship mentality has seen FUS win three Division Excellence titles in a row and qualify for the BAL from 2023.
“We have competitive players. Players who want to win. Players who want to take everything in Morocco. And win the biggest (club) title in Africa, the BAL. That’s it,” said Zouita.
Zouita Abdelhakim and FUS have been shaped by past experiences to be a better team at this year’s BAL. Pictures: Getty Images
Winning on the continent is something Zouita knows a thing or two about, having triumphed with Morocco at the 2023 AfroCan and nine years ago (2017) with his former club, AS Salé, he won the old FIBA Africa Champions Cup, and to cap off a memorable tournament, he got the MVP crown.
Zouita, who averaged 15.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists when Salé triumphed, could only express gratitude for helping his country and club reach the mountain top in African basketball.
“I am grateful. I have had a great career. I love basketball, and what I did for my country. I hope to give more and show basketball is big in Morocco,” said Zouita.
On winning the MVP trophy, Zouita says great team chemistry led to his individual success. “It was the group. We had about six, seven, or eight players who played together for about 10 years. That was the key,” intimated Zouita.
Back to the BAL. Morocco will host the Sahara Conference for the second time in the North African country’s capital, Rabat, and Zouita and FUS will look forward to facing Al Ahly, Club Africain, JCA Kings, AS Ville Dakar and Maktown Fliers.
Zouita believes the calibre of clubs coming to Rabat will make the conference tough. “I think this is the hardest conference. These are the biggest clubs in Africa. Clubs with good quality players,” said Zouita.
Abdelhakim Zouita won the 2017 FIBA Africa Club Championship. Picture: FIBA
Looking at the Rabat-based club’s BAL record, they navigated the conference stage quite well, but they have failed to progress beyond the last eight. Zouita says experience has been a teacher to him and his teammates, and the reinforcements added to the club have played in the BAL before, they canwhich will help make FUS a contender this year.
“We are more prepared. We have more experience because we have participated in this competition for two years. We have brought in two good players – Will Perry and Abdoulaye Harouna – they are a plus for our team,” said Zouita. “We will be good at this conference. This year we will be good.”
Zouita and FUS have always been competitors at this level, but they have to take it up a notch this year. While he still has a desire to win, he acknowledges that his window to win another continental title could be closing.
“I need to work more, I don’t want to end my career now. I want to play for a few more years. I want to have fun and enjoy the few years I have left on the court,” said Zouita. “I hope I can end my career with one more title. It will be hard. As I said, the conference in Morocco is the toughest… We will see. We will see.”
