The Basketball Africa League (BAL) announced the 12 teams and group phase schedule for the 2026 BAL season, which will tip off on Friday, March 27, at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa.
The league’s sixth season will feature the top 12 club teams from across 12 African countries. A total of 42 games will be played during the tournament.
The Kalahari Conference group phase will run from 27 March to 05 April 2026 in Pretoria, followed by the Sahara Conference from 24 April to 03 May in Rabat, Morocco.
The Playoffs and Finals will take place from 22 to 31 May at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.
The 12 teams include Dar City, the first-ever BAL participant from Tanzania, as well as first-time entrants JCA Kings (Côte d’Ivoire), Maktown Flyers (Nigeria), Johannesburg Giants (South Africa), and Club Africain (Tunisia).
The lineup also features 2024 BAL champions Petro de Luanda (Angola), the only team to qualify for all six BAL seasons, and 2023 champions Al Ahly (Egypt).
