Today, February 26, 2026 from Dakar, the Basketball Africa League (BAL) announced the list of the 12 participating clubs and the group stage schedule for the 2026 season, which begins on Friday, March 27, at the Sunbeat Arena in Pretoria, South Africa.
The sixth season will witness the participation of 12 clubs from 12 African countries, competing in 42 matches held across three main stations. Pretoria will host the Kalahari Conference matches from March 27 to April 5, while the Prince Moulay Abdullah Sports Complex in Rabat will host the Sahara Conference matches from April 24 to May 3, with the qualifying rounds and final being held at the BK Arena in Kigali during the period from May 22 to 31.
The new edition includes the participation of “Dar City” as the first team from Tanzania in the history of the tournament, along with four clubs participating for the first time: “JCA Kings” from Côte d’Ivoire, “Mactown Flyers” from Nigeria, “Johannesburg Giants” from South Africa, and “Club African” from Tunisia. The list also includes “Petro de Luanda” of Angola, the 2024 champion and the only team to qualify for all six seasons, in addition to “Al-Ahly of Egypt”, the 2023 champion, along with the Fath Sports Federation of Rabat of Morocco, Al-Ahly Tripoli of Libya, the Rwandan Army Club (APR), the Senegalese Phil Dakar Association, and the Kenyan Nairobi City Thunder.
The champions of the local leagues in Angola, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia qualified directly, while five clubs reserved their places through the “Road to BAL” qualifiers organized by the Confederation of African Basketball between October and December 2025.
The group stage is played in a single-round league system within each conference, with 15 matches per conference, with each team playing five matches. The opening ceremony will see the Rwandan Army (APR) face off against Al-Ahly Tripoli at 4pm Central African Time, followed by the match between Johannesburg Giants and Dar City at 7pm. Tickets for the Kalahari Conference in Pretoria have been released, while tickets for the Desert Conference and the knockout rounds will be available soon, with the possibility of pre-registration through the official website. Purchasing tickets also provides free entry to the fan area in each hall.
League President Amadou Gallo Fall confirmed that the addition of five new clubs reflects the continued growth of the tournament and its increasing influence on the African basketball system, noting the aspiration to interact with fans in South Africa, Morocco, and Rwanda and followers across the continent and the world, with additional details to be announced in the coming weeks.
