The Basketball Africa League (BAL) has announced an exhilarating lineup for its upcoming 2024 season, featuring 12 club teams from 12 African countries set to compete in a record-breaking season.
The season is scheduled to tip off on March 9th in Pretoria, South Africa, marking the league’s first-ever games in the country and the first time games will be played in four different African nations.
Five new teams, representing three new countries, will debut in the BAL, adding a fresh dynamic to the competition.
These additions include the first-ever BAL teams from Burundi, the Central African Republic, and Libya.
The 12 teams have been divided into three conferences, each comprising four teams.
Seven teams boast previous Basketball Africa League experience, with two teams, Petro de Luanda (Angola) and US Monastir (Tunisia), competing for a record fourth season.
The conference breakdown is as follows:
Kalahari Conference: Cape Town Tigers (South Africa), Dynamo Basketball Club (Burundi), FUS Rabat Basketball (Morocco), Petro de Luanda (Angola)
Nile Conference: Al Ahly (Egypt), Al Ahly Ly (Libya), Bangui Sporting Club (Central African Republic), City Oilers (Uganda)
Sahara Conference: Armée Patriotique Rwandaise Basketball (APR; Rwanda), AS Douanes (Senegal), Rivers Hoopers (Nigeria), US Monastir (Tunisia)
Each conference will participate in a 12-game group phase, where teams will face each other twice.
Notably, this season introduces a new format where the home team in each market will play on every gameday, including weekends.
The action-packed season will culminate in Kigali, Rwanda, with the top two teams from each conference and the top two third-place teams competing in four seeding games followed by an eight-game, single-elimination Playoffs and Finals from May 24 to June 1.
The season opener will witness FUS Rabat Basketball (Morocco) facing off against Petro de Luanda, while the Cape Town Tigers (South Africa) will take on Dynamo Basketball Club (Burundi) in the second game.
Fans eager to witness the thrilling matchups can purchase tickets for the games in Pretoria, Cairo, and Dakar, with further ticket sales information to be announced for the Nile Conference group phase in Cairo and the Playoffs and Finals in Kigali.
The 2024 BAL season promises to be an electrifying showcase of African basketball talent, supported by esteemed partners such as Rwanda Development Board, NIKE, Jordan Brand, and Wilson.
Stay tuned for more updates as the season approaches!