Rabat – The Basketball Africa League (BAL) has officially revealed the 12 teams and group phase schedule for its 2026 season, which will tip off on March 27 in Pretoria.
Now entering its sixth season, the BAL will feature 12 club teams from 12 African countries competing in 42 games across three host cities: Pretoria, Rabat, and Kigali.
The competition will begin with the Kalahari Conference Group Phase in Pretoria from March 27 to April 5, followed by the Sahara Conference Group Phase in Rabat from April 24 to May 3.
The season will conclude with the Playoffs and Finals in Kigali from May 22 to May 31.
Teams competing in the 2026 BAL season
The Kalahari Conference will include:
- Johannesburg Giants (South Africa)
- Al Ahly Ly (Libya)
- Armée Patriotique Rwandaise Basketball Club – APR (Rwanda)
- Dar City (Tanzania)
- Nairobi City Thunder (Kenya)
- Petro de Luanda (Angola)
The Sahara Conference will feature:
- Fath Union Sport Rabat – FUS Rabat (Morocco)
- Al Ahly (Egypt)
- ASC Ville de Dakar (Senegal)
- Club Africain (Tunisia)
- JCA Kings (Côte d’Ivoire)
- Maktown Flyers (Nigeria)
Among the participants, Dar City will represent Tanzania in the BAL for the first time, while JCA Kings, Maktown Flyers, Johannesburg Giants, and Club Africain will all make their debut in the competition.
Meanwhile, Angolan powerhouse Petro de Luanda returns as the 2024 BAL champion and remains the only team to qualify for all six BAL seasons. Egyptian giants Al Ahly, the 2023 BAL champion, will also compete this year.
League growth across the continent
According to BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall, the arrival of several new teams reflects the league’s rapid expansion.
“Welcoming five new teams into the BAL family is a powerful sign of the league’s continued growth, the impact it is having on the African basketball ecosystem, and the incredible talent developing across the continent,” Fall said.
The league looks forward to engaging fans in South Africa, Morocco, Rwanda and around the world as the BAL continues to grow as a leading sports and entertainment property in Africa, he added.
Qualification & format
Seven teams automatically qualified as champions of their national leagues in Angola, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia.
The remaining five teams secured their spots through the Road to the BAL qualifying tournaments organized by FIBA Africa between October and December 2025.
Each conference will play a 15-game group phase, with every team facing the other five teams in its group once. At the end of the group stage, eight teams will advance to the playoffs in Kigali.
Fans interested in attending the games can register for ticket updates via the BAL’s official platform.
Tickets for the Rabat Sahara Conference and the Kigali playoffs are expected to be released soon.
The BAL is a partnership between International Basketball Federation and NBA Africa and represents the NBA’s first collaboration to operate a professional league outside North America. The league is headquartered in Dakar.
