DAR ES SALAAM: BASKETBALL fans were treated to thrilling action at Chinangali Park in Dodoma on Friday evening, as Hasheem Manka and Enrico Augustino powered their respective teams to the National Basketball League (NBL) finals.
Manka starred for Dar City, leading them to a dominant 78-34 victory over UDSM-Outsiders in Game 2 of their best-of-three semifinal series.
The former NBA player showcased his allaround game, recording 10 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks in the Tanzania Basketball Federation (TBF)- organised league.
With the win, Dar City completed a 2-0 series sweep, having won Game 1 69-54 on Thursday evening, securing their spot in the finals. In the other semi-final, Augustino delivered a standout performance for Army Basketball Club (ABC) of Dar es Salaam, scoring 16 points and adding 2 assists to lead ABC to a hard-fought 63-55 win over Kisasa Heroes, the hosts.
This victory followed a nail-biting 55-54 triumph in Game 1 on Thursday, ensuring ABC’s place in the championship series. The finals will feature an all-Dar es Salaam showdown, with Dar City and ABC set to face off in a best-of-three series.
The first game is scheduled for tonight, followed by Game 2 on Tuesday. If necessary, Game 3 will take place on November 20.
In the women’s roundrobin matches on Friday evening, Orkeeswa from Arusha dominated Vipers of Dodoma 75-40, while Fox Divas of Mara continued their impressive run with an 86-40 victory over Pazi Queens of Dar es Salaam. In an upset, defending champions Vijana Queens of Dar es Salaam were defeated by DB Lioness, also from Dar es Salaam, 70-46. Saturday’s fixtures include Pazi facing JKT Stars, Orkeeswa battling Vijana Queens and DB Lioness taking on Fox Divas.
These results will determine the four teams advancing to the women’s semifinals, with the second semi-final set for Monday. A total of 10 men’s teams and 7 women’s teams participated in this year’s league.
The men’s winner will represent Tanzania at the Basketball Africa League (BAL), while the women’s champion will represent Tanzania at the Women’s Basketball League Africa (WBLA) 2025 Zone Five Qualifiers
