JOHANNESBURG (South Africa) – MBB, the South African club, will make its first foray into the Elite 16. It is the second South African team to participate in the qualifiers for the Basketball Africa League (BAL).
Unlike the Cape Town Tigers, who have brought in top talent to previous Elite 16 tournaments, MBB does not have the same resources as its American predecessors and will have to make do with local talent and expatriates, who have taken up residence in South Africa ahead of the Elite 16 Eastern Division in Nairobi.
MBB won the South African national championship in August, qualifying directly for the Elite 16.
ELITE 16 KEY PLAYERS
Former captain of the South African national team, Neo Mothiba, was one of the main architects of the first South African championship title won by the MBB.
Aged 42, Mothiba should become a determining factor for the South African champions.
Lebesa Selepe is a regular on the Road to BAL. He participated in three successful qualifying campaigns with the Cape Town Tigers, and his mission now is to lead the MBB into the club’s Elite 16 debut in Nairobi, Kenya.
HEAD COACH
Former player Cyril Shabalala will lead the club from the bench. Shabalala led MBB to the national championship.
CLUB HISTORY
The MBB started as a social team. This year he started participating in the National Basketball League. Shabalala also owns the club.
FIBA
