THE basketball world’s anticipation shifts to Rwanda, where the iconic 10,000-seat BK Arena in Kigali stands ready to ignite as host for the Nile Conference’s thrilling Basketball Africa League qualifiers. Four teams are set to clash in this cathedral of competition: South Africa’s Made By Basketball (MBB), Kenya’s Nairobi City Thunder, Libya’s Al Ahli Tripoli, and the passionate home representatives, APR Basketball (Rwanda).
The 2025 BAL Season Journey
- The Kalahari Conference group phase took place from April 5-13 in Rabat, Morocco
- The Sahara Conference group phase ran from April 26 to May 4 at the Dakar Arena in Senegal
- The final instalment ahead of the 2025 BAL Playoffs, the Nile Conference group phase, will unfold from May 17-25 at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda Nile Conference group
Kigali holds special significance as the city that ignited the BAL’s inaugural flames by hosting the first-ever tournaments in 2021 and 2022.
Stars to Watch in the Nile Conference
Al Ahli Tripoli (Libya)
- Jean Jacques Boissy – Former NBA Academy Africa student-athlete, former AS Douanes player (BAL Finals 2023)
- Chris Silva – Former NBA player with the Miami Heat (NBA Finals 2020) and Dallas Mavericks, former NBA G League player
MBB (South Africa)
- Sam Vincent (Head Coach) – 1986 NBA champion with the Boston Celtics, former NBA player alongside Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls, former head coach of South Africa’s national team (FIBA AfroBasket 2003), Nigeria’s women’s national team (Athens Olympics 2004), and Nigeria’s men’s national team (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2006)
- Peter Prinsloo – Former Cape Town Tigers captain (BAL 2022-2023)
- Neo Mothiba – Former South Africa national team captain
APR (Rwanda)
- Dick Sano – Former NBA Academy Africa student-athlete
Teams Already Qualified for Playoffs in South Africa
From Kalahari Conference:
- Al Ittihad (Egypt)
- Rivers Hoopers (Nigeria)
From Sahara Conference:
- US Monastir (Tunisia)
- Petro de Luanda (Angola)
- Kriol Star (Cape Verde)
About BAL
The Basketball Africa League (BAL), a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and NBA Africa, is a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa that tipped off its fifth season in April 2025.
The BAL represents the culmination of the NBA’s deep connection to Africa through more than two decades of work to grow the continent’s basketball ecosystem and provide African players with a predictable pathway to learn the game and maximise their potential.
A record of more than 120,000 fans watched BAL games last season, including sold-out opening day and closing weekend events at SunBet Arena during the Kalahari Conference in Pretoria in March 2024.
Where to Watch
In the Nile Conference opener, MBB will take on Al Ahli Tripoli at 2:30 p.m. CAT on ESPN and the BAL YouTube channel.
