Players to watch out for at the 2023 Nile Conference

The 2023 Nile Conference will be a battleground of talented players looking to lead their teams to the BAL Playoffs.

The competition will take place from Wednesday, April 26 until Saturday, May 6 at Hassan Mostafa Indoor Sports Complex in Cairo.

Over the course of the fifteen Nile Conference games, there will be a huge diversity of players on display.

From a former FIBA Africa Champions Cup MVP (Carlos Morais); former NBA players (Joshua Hall and Michael Gbinije); nine players with NBA G League background; twenty former NCAA Division I players, and fifteen former Basketball Without Borders Africa campers, this year’s Nile Conference is talented-ridden.

But there is a list of players to watch out for at the 2023 Nile Conference.

Nuni Omot
TEAM: Al Ahly
DOB: October 3, 1994
Height: 6’9
Position: Forward
Nationality: South Sudanese

The South Sudanese international player joined the Egyptian champions after a productive G League season with the Osceola Magic and Westchester Knicks.

Omot, a 6’9 forward, averaged 9.9 points and 3.8 rebounds in 23 G League games.

The 28-year-old has also played a huge role in helping South Sudan qualify for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Ehab Amin
TEAM: Al Ahly
DOB: August 1, 1995
Height: 6’2
Position: Guard
Nationality: Egyptian

When Amin returned to his native Egypt in 2019 after a collegiate basketball career that saw him play for Texas A&M and University of Oregon, the 6’2 guard started his professional career with Egypt giants Al Ahly.

Amin, a former FIBA U18 African Championship MVP, has since enjoyed a successful career, having helped Al Alhy to the 2022 National League title.

Last week, Amin was named the 2023 Egypt Cup MVP.

James Justice Jr.
TEAM: City Oilers
DOB: January 12, 1989
Height: 5’10
Position: Guard
Nationality: USA

Justice Jr. became a household name in African basketball after leading Egyptian side Smouah Sporting Club to the third place of the 2019 FIBA Africa Basketball League’s Final-Four held in Luanda

A terrific ball-handler and ferocious attacker, Justice Jr. is a left-handed guard who cand do it all.

Media reports suggested that before joining the Oilers, Justice Jr. was under Al Ahly’s radar.

Tonny Drileba
TEAM: City Oilers
DOB: December 19, 1993
Height: 6’2
Position: Guard
Nationality: Ugandan

City Oilers guard Drileba was recently voted by Ugandan Sports Journalists as the MVP of the National League.

An experienced guard, Drileba has become a regular member of the Uganda national team in recent times.

Ayade Munguambe (main image)
TEAM: Ferroviario da Beira
DOB: June 29, 1996
Height: 6’7
Position: Forward
Nationality: Mozambican

Want to watch and aggressive defender who can terrorise opponents’ defense with jaw-dropping dunks? This 6’7 forward is the man to keep an eye on.

William Perry
TEAM: Ferroviario da Beira
DOB: October 11, 1993
Height: 6’1
Position: Guard
Nationality: USA

Perry made his BAL debut last season, and he automatically made an impact with his trademark three-point shooting.

For the second season in a row, Perry has played a huge role in helping Beira qualify for the BAL.

Evans Ganapamo
TEAM: Cape Town Tigers
DOB: August 19, 1994
Height: 6’7
Position: Forward
Nationality: Central African Republic

This 6’7 forward has been the heart and soul of the Tigers over the past few years.

From leading Cape Town to two consecutive national league titles, helping the team throughout the BAL qualifiers round to hitting a historic game-winning three-pointer against FAP that helped the team to qualify for the 2022 playoffs, Ganapamo has done it all.

Nkosinathi Sibanyony
TEAM: Cape Town Tigers
DOB: May 24, 1998
Height: 6’9
Position: Forward
Nationality: South African

At 6’9, ‘Nathi’ as Sibanyony is known in basketball circles, continues to show a tremendous progress in the painted area.

He made his BAL debut last season, and what he displayed last year in Cairo was a testament of a player who can become a dominant presence near the basket.

Childe Dundão
TEAM: Petro de Luanda
DOB: May 17, 1998
Height: 5’7
Position: Guard
Nationality: Angolan

A little giant who can be impactful on both ends of the floor is how this 5’7 point guard has become known.

In his third BAL season, Dundao, who made it to the 2022 BAL All-Defense team, is expected to remain vital for the Angolan champions.

Aboubacar Gakou
TEAM: Petro de Luanda
DOB: May 27, 1997
Height: 6’7
Position: Forward
Nationality: Angolan

Gakou couldn’t be any more motivated to this BAL season after winning the MVP award of the 2023 Angola League Finals last week.

His three-point shooting has become this 6’7 forward’s trademark.

Uche Iroegbu
TEAM: SLAC
DOB: August 20, 1996
Height: 6’1
Position: Guard
Nationality: Nigerian

A terrific ball handler with an ability to shoot from outside, Iroegbu’s signing emerges as a major boost for the Guinean champions.

Uche earned his place in the Nigeria national team during the 2021 AfroBasket Qualifiers. Since then, the 26-year-old point guard went on to become a household name on the continent.

Joshua Hall
TEAM: Cape Town Tigers
DOB: October 8, 2000
Height: 6’9
Position: Forward
Nationality: USA

After a brief NBA career with the Oklahoma City Thunders (OKC), Hall is showcasing his talent in Africa.

Before spending the last three G League seasons with the Raptors 905, Maine Celtics and Grand Rapids, Hall appeared in 21 NBA games with OKC, averaging 4.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

There are four Playoffs spots on offer for six teams, who rebuilt and invested heavily to reach the elimination round in Kigali in May.