Three from three and a 40-point margin: Munali Suns crush Botswana's Dolphins 96–56 at NASDEC, Douglas Kandulu scores 35, and Harare Kings are next on Monday afternoon

If Saturday's win over Ferroviario da Beira was a test of nerve, Sunday's was a statement. Munali Suns beat Botswana's Dolphins Basketball Club 96–56 at the NASDEC Sports Complex in Lusaka, a 40-point margin in Group E of the Road to BAL 2027, and the game that had been billed as a meeting of the group's two unbeaten sides was over by half-time. FIBA's game record has the quarters at 22–14, 28–11, 30–18 and 16–13, a 50–25 lead at the interval, a 16–0 run, and three lead changes.

Douglas Kandulu, who had 21 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks against Beira on Saturday, scored 35 against the Dolphins. The visitors' best was Adrian Breitlauch with 11. The shooting numbers explain the rest: the Suns made half their field goals and 57.9 per cent of their two-point attempts, the Dolphins 31 per cent and 35.6; both sides were poor from distance, at 23.5 and 23.1 per cent. The Dolphins had arrived with wins over Harare Kings and, on Saturday, Bravehearts of Malawi by 78–74, in which Dallan Coleman scored 20.

Where the group stands

After three days the Suns are 3–0 and alone at the top with six points. Beira, who beat Harare Kings 98–71 in Sunday's other game, and the Dolphins are both 2–1 on five points; Bravehearts and Harare Kings are 1–2, and Soweto Panthers of South Africa have lost all three. The format FIBA published for this season sends the top two from each first-round group to the Elite 16, with the East Division's Elite 16 to be played in Nairobi from 23 to 29 November and the top two there going to the 2027 Basketball Africa League. The Suns are not yet mathematically through, since Beira, the Dolphins and two others can still finish on four wins, but they hold the head-to-head over both of their nearest rivals.

Monday's programme in Lusaka starts at 10:00 with Beira against Bravehearts, continues at 13:00 with the Dolphins against the Panthers, and finishes at 16:00 with the Suns against Harare Kings, whom Beira beat by 27 on Sunday. Saturday's two-point win over Beira, in which the Suns trailed by ten at half-time, had Elijah Mukelabai with 17 points and eight rebounds and Ofure Ujadughele with 13 points, five assists and five rebounds alongside Kandulu; Beira's Joshua Thomas scored 27. Lusaka Brief reported that game and the opening win over Bravehearts in Sunday's edition.

Sources: FIBA, “Munali Suns v Dolphins Basketball Club, Road to BAL 2027 Group E, game record” (1 Nov 2026); FIBA, “Road to BAL 2027 standings” (1 Nov 2026); FIBA, “Suns, Dolphins go 2–0 after second day action in Group E” (31 Oct 2026); FIBA, “Introducing the Road to BAL 2027” (Oct 2026).