Can Cobra Sport Pull a Surprise Against Zamalek in the Opener of the Nile Conference?

When the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Nile Conference gets underway on Saturday in Cairo, questions will be asked whether Zamalek can extend their BAL winning streak or if debutant Cobra Sport can pull a surprise in this David and Goliath encounter.

The Hassan Mostafa Sports Hall in Cairo is the stage for the opener of the Nile Conference, where six teams are vying a spot in the playoffs in May in Kigali, Rwanda.

Zamalek had a sloppy start to the inaugural BAL season, averaging 22 turnovers in the first three games, but they readjusted and went to lift the BAL trophy undefeated in six games.

Only half of the team that helped Zamalek to the crown of the BAL remained for this season, but as they say, their BAL goal remains intact.

Comparatively to the squad that competed in the Road to BAL in October and December last year, the South Sudanese champions are a relatively different squad, having signed Packet Wang, Jared Harrington, who featured for Cape Town Tigers in the qualifiers, and brought in South Sudan international player Nyang Wek.

With an average of 23 years of age, Cobra Sport are the youngest team in the Nile Conference.

“It’s a great team. We all come together,” said Wang in the build-up to the Nile Conference opener.

“I thought we’ll shock a lot of people in the world, but the main thing is we are here to stay.” 

If the numbers and squad experience are anything to go by, Zamalek could improve their BAL record to 7-0, but the Whites will need to overcome Cobra Sport’s combative spirit.

With the likes of seven-footer Anas Mahmoud, Zamalek have an added bonus in the painted area. And if media reports suggesting the absence of Cobra’s Tom Wamukota, then things could become even more challenging for the South Sudanese champions.

“National team, Cobra team, we are all playing for South Sudan. We are just trying to lift our country up and, this is how basketball brings us together. We are here for our people,” Wang pointed out.

When asked to describe this Zamalek team, former NBA player Ike Diogu, who joined Zamalek two months ago for the FIBA Intercontinental Cup, replied: We are like a Swiss Army knife; we can do a little bit of everything.”

Diogu continued: “This is definitely an aggressive team, with good young players. We have shooters, bigs, the Egyptian big Anas [Mahmoud]. I think we’ll surprise a lot of people. We have guys that can a lot of things.”