ACCRA (Ghana) - Ghana’s representative in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Elite 16 stage Spintex Knights are still in dreamland and are not in a hurry to get out of it.
This is courtesy of the progression the club has made so far in this competition in their very first attempt. And the Knights have been working assiduously to ensure that they make the final stage.
HOW THEY QUALIFIED TO THE ROAD BAL
Before heading to Tripoli, Libya where they earned the ticket to Abidjan, Spintex Knights defeated rivals Braves Customs to win Ghana's national league and thus gained the right to represent the country in the 2025 Road to BAL.
QUALIFICATION TO THE ELITE 16
Despite losing 69-73 to Mighty Barolle Basketball Club from Liberia in its final West Division Group B game, Knights finished second in the group to progress.
Knights, Barolle and Elan Coton of Benin finished with the same record (1-3) but a better points-difference got Knights to pick up the group’s second qualification ticket behind group winners ABC Fighters of Cote d’Ivoire.
This is the first time a Ghanaian club has made it to the Elite 16 stage. Braves of Customs were the first club to represent Ghana in the Group Phase of the Road to BAL but missed out on progressing from the 2019 edition early stages.
Head coach Serlorm Thomas Amediku told FIBA.basketball that he is excited with the team and emphasised its commitment to qualifying for the main BAL competition.
He expressed excitement about learning from legendary Ghanaian coaches and contributing to the nation’s basketball history, mentioning plans to enhance the team ahead of the Elite 16 stage.
Amediku said: "The experience in Libya was amazing for us, seeing how FIBA tournaments are organized and being able to play against some of the best in Africa was great for us. Being the first club to represent Ghana at the elite 16 stage, means a lot to me as this is an opportunity for me to add up to the history of Ghana basketball, and be able to help showcase to the world how basketball is fast growing in our country."
KEY PLAYERS IN GROUP PHASE
James Amotoe was the leading scorer for the team. In one of his best displays in Tripoli, he recorded 27 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in a 73-69 loss to Mighty Barrolle.
HEAD COACH
33-year-old Selorm Thomas Amediku started coaching in 2015 at the grassroots level.
In 2020, he was appointed head coach of Spintex knights, which at the time was a recreational team. Two years later, the club opted to play in the national league lower divisions and got promotion and went on to win the top division league title in 2023.
TEAM'S HISTORY AND OWNERSHIP
The club was founded in 2018 by Eric Opoku-Antwi and Eli Tetteh Bedzrah. Spintex Knights is based in Sakumono, Accra.
FIBA