Will Tigers have an antidote for Petro?
NKOSINATHI Sibanyoni has entered his second season in the professional ranks of basketball, and in his journey, he has grown in confidence and ambition for his career.
Since joining the Cape Town Tigers, Sibanyoni, who hails from Mpumalanga, South Africa, has seen his game improve, and the 2021 Basketball National League champion and MVP with Egoli Magic has the desire to spread his wings.
“I have seen how guys play in other parts of the world, and I believe I have the potential to get where I want to be. It’s a matter of working on my game more and being able to advertise my ability,” said Sibanyoni. “In the next two to five years, I would like to see myself play in different countries and learn from other coaches and players. That way, I will mature as a player.”
The 24-year-old Sibanyoni signed for the Tigers for their 2021 Road To BAL Elite 16 campaign, and although he did not play in that qualifying tournament, he proved a future asset.
In their maiden appearance at the Basketball Africa League (BAL) last year, the American-owned Tigers managed a third-place finish in the Nile Conference, which led to a playoff spot in Kigali. Unfortunately, their journey would end at that stage after a defeat to eventual champions, US Monastir of Tunisia.
For slim-framed Sibanyoni, who spoke to The Big Tip Off on Friday, felt his debut season was memorable.
“It was a great experience. Something big! I would also say there was some nervousness because of the stage that we were on. It was my first time playing against certain players and ex-NBA players,” said the former Jozi Nuggets player.
“This was a big stage. We were in a different country, but I believe I adjusted well and played my game. Then I realised not a lot had changed and began to feel comfortable.”
Sibanyoni finished the second edition of the BAL among the top ten rebounders with 7.2 rebounds per game, and while he felt chuffed about his feat, he says it is a part of his job.
“It felt great at the time. It did. But I know this is what I do best on the court. I no longer look at it as a big thing. I look at it as me fulfilling a role within the team,” said Sibanyoni, whose best game was a double-double (10pts and 10rebs) against Petro de Luanda.
“As a group, we learnt we have to stick to our game plan no matter what. Even if we are down fifteen, we must keep to the system until the final minute.
“But it was a great experience because we reached the quarter-finals in our first appearance. That gives hope that we can go further this year.”
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This year the Tigers are back in the Nile Conference in Cairo. In their opening game against Seydou Legacy Athletique Club or SLAC of Guinea, the South Africans battled to a 78-65 win over the West Africans.
Sibanyoni, who came off the bench in that game, scored six points and crashed seven boards. Despite taking a painful hit and fouling out, his scoring output was part of a 26 points contribution by the Tigers’ bench.
“I am alright. We have had two days off. So those are two days to recover and re-strategise for our next game. It was our first game, and we did well to get the win. Now we have to go back to the drawing board,” said the former Mpumalanga Rhinos player.
The next game on Sunday for the Tigers will be against a familiar adversary, Petro de Luanda of Angola. Sibanyoni and his teammates faced Petro in the conference play of last year’s BAL and two friendlies in October in South Africa.
Petro are 2-0 in the Nile Conference after victories over City Oilers (Uganda) and Ferroviario da Beira (Mozambique). With high-IQ veterans like Carlos Morais, Damian Hollins, Ater Majok, and Solo Diabate in their ranks, the Angolan champions could prove a tough nut to crack.
The Angolans might also have a height and size advantage over the two-time South African club championship winners. But the scenario does not deter Sibanyoni.
“We have played against Petro and won. Yes, our team was different then. And we also saw how City Oilers made things hard for them. So, I think we are good enough. If we stick to the coach’s instructions, we will have a good game against Petro,” said Sibanyoni.
“They may have some older guys, and they may be bigger, but our coaches have prepared us for such situations. For example, if we have to guard bigger guys, we might rely on the help defence.
“Maybe because they are veterans, we might have to run them off the court.”
The journey with Tigers has opened a world of possibility for Sibanyoni, but now he and his teammates attention will be on the pending battle against the Angolan giants and rest of the BAL.
Will they be the spanner that derails the well-oiled machine that is Petro?
