The Basketball Africa League (BAL) is getting ready for its exciting fifth season, which will start on April 5, 2025. This season is extra special because it will have more teams and games in different cities across Africa. Fans can look forward to a lot of exciting basketball action as teams compete for the championship
The 2025 BAL season will take place from April 5 to June 14. There will be 48 games played by 12 teams. The tournament will be organized into conferences, and after the regular games, there will be exciting playoffs to decide the new champion.
Amadou Gallo Fall, BAL President said that “We have seen tremendous growth over the BAL’s first four seasons in the level of on-court competition, attendance, and engagement from fans and partners in Africa and globally. Our milestone fifth season will build on that momentum and further showcase the level of talent and passion for basketball in Africa, including through the first BAL games in Morocco and the first BAL Finals in South Africa.”
Conferences and Host Cities
The regular season will be divided into three conferences, each hosting a group stage in a different African city:
- Kalahari Conference will play in Sports Complex, Rabat, Morocco from April 5 to April 13, 2025
- Sahara Conference will play in Dakar Arena, Dakar, Senegal from April 26 – May 4, 2025
- Nile Conference will take place in BK Arena, Kigali, Rwanda from May 17 to May 25, 2025
Following the conclusion of the group stages, the top eight teams will advance to the Playoffs and Finals, which will be hosted at SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa. The playoffs are scheduled to begin on June 6, culminating in the championship final on June 14, 2025
Anibal Manave, President of FIBA Africa said “The Kalahari Conference marks another expansion of the BAL into a new country on our continent, and we are more than satisfied.”
Participating Team
This season will see a record-breaking six teams making their BAL debut, marking a significant expansion for the league, among the participating teams are:
- Petro de Luanda (Angola) Defending champions
- US Monastir (Tunisia) 2022 champions
- Kriol Star Basketball (Cape Verde) First-time participant
- Nairobi City Thunder (Kenya) First-time participant
The introduction of new teams, including representatives from Cape Verde and Kenya, adds an exciting dynamic to the competition, reflecting the league’s continued growth and influence across the continent.
Kigali’s Legacy in the BAL Playoffs
For four years, Kigali, Rwanda, was the home of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Playoffs and Finals, hosting the event from 2021 to 2024 at the BK Arena. This 10,000 seat venue created an exciting atmosphere, attracting thousands of fans and big names from the world of sports and entertainment.
The city became a key hub for African basketball, with strong support from both local and international audiences.In 2024, Petro de Luanda (Angola) won the championship by defeating Al Ahly (Egypt), proving their dominance in African basketball. Over the years, Kigali gained worldwide attention, and NBA legends like Joakim Noah, Dikembe Mutombo, and Luol Deng attended the finals. While the 2025 BAL Playoffs and Finals will now take place in Pretoria, South Africa, Kigali will always be remembered as a historic part of the league journey as stated Clare Akamanzi, former CEO of the Rwanda Development Board now CEO OF Nba Africa and that “We have seen tremendous success and return on investment over the last three years and look forward to doing more together.” The BAL has proven to be an excellent unifier. We remain committed to showcasing the finest Rwanda has to offer in terms of tourism, investment opportunities, talent development, Made in Rwanda products and much more to the world.”
The BAL fifth season is set to be a big event, bringing top basketball players, excited fans, and high-level competition together and who is going to be the BAL 2025 season champion.
