BAL unveils 12 teams, group phase schedule for 2026 season

The Basketball Africa League (BAL) on Wednesday announced the 12 teams and group phase schedule for the 2026 season, which will tip off on March 27 at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria.

The league’s sixth season will feature 12 club teams from 12 African countries playing a total of 42 games. The Kalahari Conference group phase will run from March 27 to April 5 in Pretoria.

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The Sahara Conference will be held from April 24 to May 3 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat. The Playoffs and Finals are scheduled for May 22 to May 31 at the BK Arena in Kigali.

Five Debutants Join Continental Heavyweights

The 12-team lineup includes Dar City, the first-ever BAL participant from Tanzania, and four other debutants: JCA Kings (Côte d’Ivoire), Maktown Flyers (Nigeria), Johannesburg Giants (South Africa) and Club Africain (Tunisia).

They join established powers, including 2024 BAL champions Petro de Luanda, the only team to qualify for all six BAL seasons, and 2023 champions Al Ahly.

“Welcoming five new teams into the BAL family is a powerful sign of the league’s continued growth and the impact it is having on the African basketball ecosystem,” BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall said.

“We look forward to engaging our passionate fans in South Africa, Morocco, Rwanda and those watching across Africa and around the world.”

Qualification Path and Season Opener

National league champions from Angola, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia secured automatic qualification. The remaining five teams advanced through the Road to the BAL qualifying tournaments organised by FIBA Africa between October and December 2025.

Each conference will stage a 15-game group phase, with teams playing the other five sides in their conference once.

In the season opener, APR will face Al Ahly Ly at 4:00 p.m. CAT, before the Johannesburg Giants take on Dar City at 7:00 p.m. CAT.

Eight teams across both conferences will progress to the Playoffs in Kigali. Tickets for the Pretoria games are already on sale, while sales for Rabat and Kigali will open in the coming weeks.