Club Omnisports de la Police Nationale (Cospn) will leave Madagascar for Uganda on 20 October, targeting qualification for the Elite 16 of the Basketball Africa League 2027. The freshly crowned 2026 N1A national champions are pooled in Group D of the East Division for the first phase of the Road to BAL, scheduled from 21 to 25 October in Hoima City.
Cospn face a demanding field that includes Uganda's Namuwongo Blazers, Burundi's Urunani Basketball Club, South Sudan's Patriots Basketball Club and Ushundzi Basket of the Comoros. Coach Tojo Rasamoelina's side must finish in the top two to advance.
To strengthen the squad, the police club have signed two international players. Angolan centre Jorge Filipe, a 2.06m pivot formerly of Petro de Luanda, will anchor the paint, while Nigerian-American guard Ikenna Okeke, a 1.98m player with experience in Spain, Serbia and Denmark, bolsters the backcourt. Captain Livio Ratianarivo and a committed core of local players complete the travelling delegation.
Beyond the sporting challenge, the campaign offers Madagascar a chance to raise its basketball profile. Cospn's domestic consistency has already secured them a place in the Road to BAL 2028, underlining the club's long-term ambition to establish itself among Africa's elite.
