UNITED States of America-based Saul Phiri is arriving in the country today to join Zimbabwe basketball champions JBC who are leaving for Botswana for their maiden appearance in the Basketball Africa League Qualifiers.
Phiri, who was born in Zimbabwe in 1997 and relocated to the USA in 2000, is one of the two USA-trained basketball players alongside Tafadzwa Tela who are in the JBC side that is making its maiden appearance in this five-team southern African basketball gathering.
The other teams in the Group D competition that is running from this Tuesday to October 22 are the Brave Hearts of Malawi, Dolphins Basketball Club of Botswana, UNAM Wolves of Namibia, and Munali Suns of Zambia.
Only one of these five teams will qualify for the second round or the Elite 16 tournament to be competed in two groups one in South Africa and the other in the Ivory Coast in November.
Phiri who, in 2022 was in the books of Zambia’s 10-time champions Matero Magic, is not promising milk and honey or heaven on earth, but says he will do everything to the best of his ability to help the Zimbabwean champions achieve their goal.
“I am not promising anything. What I can guarantee is that if picked to play, I will do everything to the best of my ability,” said the 26 year-old.
Phiri played for La Salle Explorers in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NACC) from 2016 to 2020 as the team’s shooting guard before joining Zambia’s Matero Magic.
The six-time Zimbabwe champions will also have extra arsenal in the form of Fallon Ndoye and Wesley Alcegaire who have always been vital cogs of the machine.
Team coach Addison Chiware says the players are not taking anything for granted and are more focused and mindful of the task ahead.
“I hope, we will compose ourselves to implement our game plan and counter plays,” says Chiware.
Chiware, who is also JBC club president, believes they will give their horde of followers something to smile about during the extravaganza .
“We will exert our best efforts and seek a favorable outcome every time we are on the court to play,” pledges Chiware.
The Zimbabwean champions have been drumming up support by offering cheap transport to their fans to accompany them on the trip for one of the biggest international assignments in their history.
Luckily, JBC find themselves in the company of equal strength as the likes of Munali Suns and UNAM Wolves are also making their first appearance while there is also nothing to read about the Dolphins of Botswana who had one appearance at this level of competition.
Group A, B and E have already decided their elite 16 Qualifiers while the qualifying road from Group C ends today with Group D concluding its qualifying process on October 22.
Eight teams Ferroviario of Mozambique, Cape Town Tigers of South Africa, City Oilers of Uganda, NBA Academy of Ghana, Al Ahli Benghazi of Libya, FUS Rabat of Morocco, ABC Fighters of the Ivory Coast and Stade Malien of Mali have already qualified for the Elite 16.
The BAL finals will be held in June, 2024.
