Urunani and the Namuwongo Blazers advanced to the Elite 16 of the Road to BAL 2027 after finishing among the leading teams in Group D of the Eastern Division. The first phase was played in Hoima, Uganda, where Senegal internationals Cheikh Bamba Diallo and Makhtar Gueye were prominent for their respective clubs.
Makhtar Gueye contributed to the Namuwongo Blazers’ successful group campaign. He scored 20 points and collected 8 rebounds against Ushundzi Basket before adding 15 points and 5 rebounds against COSPN. He also recorded 17 points and 8 rebounds as the Blazers defeated the Patriots 85-81 after extra time.
Diallo played in all four of Urunani’s victories as the Burundian club went through the group stage undefeated. He scored 12 points against COSPN of Madagascar and 24 against the Patriots of South Sudan. His highest-scoring performance came against Ushundzi Basket, when he registered 27 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists.
Urunani completed the phase with an 81-79 win over the Namuwongo Blazers and finished at the top of the group. Both clubs will now target a place in the final phase of the Basketball Africa League.
