Blog

…Kigali, Rwanda, Dakar, Senegal, Pretoria, South Africa are the other venues
…Conference finals to tip off in April, Playoffs holds in June

FIBA Africa has again overlook Nigeria in their choice of location for the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL), Conference finals and the Playoffs Finals.

Instead the continental governing body of the slamming and dunking game have settled for Kigali in Rwanda and Rabat the Moroccan capital.

This will the first time the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Conference Games will be played in Rabat.

The 2025 BAL season will tip off on April 5, 2025, at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat, Morocco and culminate with the finals on June 14 at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa.

The development marks the first BAL games in Morocco and the first time the finals will be held in South Africa. It is also going to be the first time the finals will be hosted out of Rwanda after four consecutive seasons.

The Kingdom of Morocco is the latest sporting hub in Africa and they are playing host to major championships.

The 2025 BAL season will feature the top 12 club teams from 12 African countries playing 48 games in:
✓ Rabat, Morocco
✓ Dakar, Senegal
✓ Kigali, Rwanda
✓ Pretoria, South Africa

The 12 teams will be divided into three conferences of four teams each.

Each conference will play a 12-game group phase during which each team will twice face the other three teams in their respective conferences.

★ The Kalahari Conference will take place from April 5 -13 in Rabat, Morocco
★ The Sahara Conference from April 26- May 4 at the Dakar Arena in Senegal
★ The Nile Conference group phase is scheduled for May 17 – 25 at BK Arena in Kigali

Eight teams from across the three conferences will qualify for the Playoffs in Pretoria, which will tip off on June 6 and end with the 2025 BAL Final on June 14.

“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.” President of BAL, Amadou Gallo Fall said.

FIBA Africa President Anibal Manave said, “The Kalahari Conference marks another expansion of the BAL into a new country on our continent, and we are more than satisfied.”

“Year after year, this competition grows, giving greater exposure to our sport and helping to elevate the level of basketball in Africa by making the league more and more competitive.”

This season, the national league champions from seven countries:
✓ Angola
✓ Egypt
✓ Morocco
✓ Nigeria
✓ Rwanda
✓ Senegal
✓ Tunisia — automatically qualify for the BAL Conference finals.

The other five teams qualify through the Road to the BAL qualifying tournaments conducted by FIBA Africa across the continent from October- December 2024.

Rivers Hoopers will represent Nigeria in the 2025 season of the BAL, having clinched the 2024 NBBF abridged Premier League concluded on Monday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. They defeated Hoops N’ Read in the final 71-54.

KEY DATES:

• Kalahari Conference – April 5 -13 in Rabat, Morocco
• Sahara Conference – April 26- May 4 at the Dakar Arena, Senegal
• Nile Conference – May 17 – 25 at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda

PLAYOFFS FINALS:

• Playoffs – June 6 – 14 in Pretoria, South Africa