BAL Announces 2026 Season Teams and Group‑Phase Schedule
Date: Friday, 27 March 2026 – SunBet Arena, Pretoria, South Africa
The Basketball Africa League (BAL) unveiled today the 12 clubs that will compete in the 2026 season and the full schedule for the group‑phase tournaments.
📅 Competition Calendar
| Phase | Dates | Venue | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kalahari Conference (Group Phase) | 27 Mar – 5 Apr | SunBet Arena | South Africa (Pretoria) |
| Sahara Conference (Group Phase) | 24 Apr – 3 May | Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex | Morocco (Rabat) |
| Play‑offs & Finals | 22 May – 31 May | BK Arena | Rwanda (Kigali) |
A total of 42 games will be played across the two conferences, followed by the knockout stage in Kigali.
🏀 Participating Teams
The sixth BAL season will feature the 12 best clubs from 12 African nations.
Full list of teams by conference
| Kalahari Conference | Sahara Conference |
|---|---|
| Johannesburg Giants (South Africa) * | Fath Union Sport Rabat (Morocco) |
| Dar City (Tanzania) * | Al Ahly Ly (Libya) |
| Club Africain (Tunisia) * | Al Ahly (Egypt) |
| APR – Armée Patriotique Rwandaise Basketball Club (Rwanda) | ASC Ville de Dakar (Senegal) |
| Nairobi City Thunder (Kenya) | Petro de Luanda (Angola) |
| JCA Kings (Ivory Coast) * | Maktown Flyers (Nigeria) * |
| *First‑time BAL participants are marked with an asterisk ()** |
New entrants:
- Dar City – the first Tanzanian club ever in the BAL
- JCA Kings (Ivory Coast)
- Maktown Flyers (Nigeria)
- Johannesburg Giants (South Africa)
- Club Africain (Tunisia)
Returning champions:
- Petro de Luanda (Angola) – the only team to qualify for every one of the six BAL seasons so far
- Al Ahly (Egypt) – BAL 2023 champions
🗣️ Statements from BAL Leadership
“Welcoming five new teams into the BAL family is a strong sign of the league’s continued growth, the impact it has on Africa’s basketball ecosystem, and the immense talent blossoming across the continent,” said Amadou Gallo Fall, President of the BAL.
“We look forward to energising our fans in South Africa, Morocco, Rwanda, and across Africa and the world as we keep establishing the BAL as the continent’s premier sporting and entertainment brand.”
🏆 Qualification Overview
- Automatic qualifiers: National champions from Angola, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, and Tunisia.
- Road‑to‑BAL qualifiers: The remaining five spots were earned through the “Road to the BAL” tournaments organized by FIBA Africa from October to December 2025.
📋 Group‑Phase Format
- Each conference will play a 15‑game round‑robin (each team faces the other five teams once).
- The opening match on 27 March will see APR vs. Al Ahly Ly at 16:00 (CAT).
- The second match will feature Johannesburg Giants vs. Dar City at 19:00 (CAT).
The top eight teams (four from each conference) will advance to the playoffs in Kigali.
🎟️ Ticket Information
- Kalahari Conference (Pretoria) tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster.za.
- Tickets for the Sahara Conference (Rabat), as well as for the playoffs and finals, will be released soon.
- Fans can express interest and receive updates at BAL.NBA.com.
Bonus: Every ticket holder receives free access to the BAL Fan Zone in each arena.
Source: Official BAL press release
