It’s game on as the Basketball Africa League (BAL) returns this year for the sixth season.
Even more exciting to this, the new season opening games will be played right here in South Africa, at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria from 27 March to 05 April. From there, the league will travel across the continent before wrapping up with the Finals at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda on 31 May.
Last year, it was Al Ahli Tripoli who beat Petro de Luanda 88-67 on at the finals to win the 2025 title.
This season will feature 12 teams from 12 African countries, competing across 42 games hosted in three cities. After the opening stretch in Pretoria, the action moves to Rabat, Morocco from 24 April to 03 May, before concluding in Kigali from 22 May to 31 May.
The 12 teams will be split into two conferences, each made up of six teams. The Kalahari Conference will play its group phase in South Africa, while the Sahara Conference will battle it out in Morocco. During the group phase, each team will face every other team in its conference once, playing a total of 15 games per conference. At the end of this phase, eight teams across both conferences will advance to the Playoffs in Kigali.
Those who will be attending the games can expect a vibrant mix of basketball, music, fashion and lifestyle experiences, with appearances from leading African celebrities and influencers. The league will also roll out basketball development and social impact initiatives in all host cities, as well as in Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal.
The 12 participating teams will be revealed in coming weeks. Stay tuned.
