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2026 BAL qualification

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2026 BAL qualification
AssociationFIBA Africa
LeagueRoad to BAL
SportBasketball
DurationTBA
TeamsTBA
West Division
Division championsTBD
Top scorerTBD
East Division
Division championsTBD
Top scorerTBD
Seasons
2027 →

The qualification for the 2026 BAL season, also known as Road to BAL 2026, were the qualifying tournaments for the sixth season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The tournaments were organised by FIBA Africa.

The competition is scheduled to begin on 17 October and end in December 2025.[1]

Teams

[edit]

The official list of teams were announced by FIBA on 3 October 2025.[1][2]

Dynamo was supposed to represent Burundi as national champions, however, it was not able to meet the deadlines, including the pending suspension after their withdrawal from the 2024 BAL season, which occurred after the Burundian government disallowed the team to wear the Rwandan sponsor, following political tensions between the two nations.[3][4][5]

West Division

[edit]
Association Team Qualification method Ref.
Entered in Elite 16
Cape Verde Cape Verde Kriol Star
Entered in first round
 Benin Elan Coton 2025 Benin Basketball Super League champions [6]
 Burkina Faso AS Douanes 2025 Burkinabé Men's Basketball Championship champions [7]
 Central African Republic New Tech Bantou
Democratic Republic of the Congo DR Congo New Generation
 Ivory Coast JCA 2025 Ligue d'Or champions [8]
 Gabon Moanda 2025 Gabonese Basketball Cup champions [9]
 Ghana Spintex Knights 2025 Accra Basketball League champions [10]
 Guinea Centre Fédéral de Guinée
 Mali CRB Tombouctou 2025 Ligue 1 champions [11]
 Liberia LPRC Oilers 2024–25 LFA First Division
 Libya Al Ahly Ly 2024–25 Libyan Division I Basketball League [12]


East Division

[edit]
Association Team Qualification method Ref.
Entered in Elite 16
Kenya Kenya Nairobi City Thunder 2024–25 KBF Premier League champions [13]
Cameroon Cameroon BEAC 2024–25 Elite Messieurs champions [14]
Entered in first round
 Uganda Namuwongo Blazers 1st ranked team in 2025 NBL Uganda[a]
 Botswana Dolphins 2025 Botswana Basketball League champions [16]
 Burundi Dynamo 2025 Burundian Basketball Championship [17]
 Comoros Djabal
 Mozambique Ferroviário da Beira 2024 Liga Moçambicana de Basquetebol champions [18]
 Madagascar COSPN 2025 N1A champions [19]
 Malawi Bravehearts 2025 BASMAL National Championship champions [20]
 South Africa Johannesburg Giants 2025 South African National Basketball Championship champions [21]
 Tanzania Dar City 2024 National Basketball League champions [22]
 Zambia Matero Magic 2024–25 Zambia Basketball League champions [23]
 Zimbabwe Basket Hounds 2025 BUZ National Championship champions [24]

First round

[edit]

The group stage will begin on 17 October and end on 29 October. The venues for each group were announced on 15 October 2025.[25]

West Division

[edit]

Group A

[edit]

Venue: Bamako, Mali

Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Libya Al Ahly Ly 3 3 0 251 197 +54 6 Advance to Elite 16
2 Mali CRB Tombouctou (H) 3 2 1 203 182 +21 5
3 Guinea Centre Fédéral de Guinée 3 1 2 177 223 −46 4
4 Burkina Faso AS Douanes Ouagadougou 3 0 3 186 215 −29 3
Source: FIBA
(H) Hosts

Group B

[edit]

Venue: Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Ivory Coast Jeunesse Club d'Abidjan (H) 3 3 0 218 152 +66 6 Advance to Elite 16
2 Ghana Spintex Knights 3 2 1 197 184 +13 5
3 Benin Elan Coton 3 1 2 167 201 −34 4
4 Liberia LPRC Oilers 3 0 3 174 219 −45 3
Source: FIBA
(H) Hosts

Group C

[edit]

Venue: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Gabon Moanda 2 2 0 158 143 +15 4 Advance to Elite 16
2 Democratic Republic of the Congo New Generation (H) 2 1 1 146 143 +3 3
3 Central African Republic New Tech Bantou 2 0 2 146 164 −18 2
Source: FIBA
(H) Hosts

Ranking of third-placed teams

[edit]

Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Central African Republic New Tech Bantou 2 0 2 146 164 −18 2 Advance to Elite 16
2 Benin Elan Coton 2 0 2 92 132 −40 2
3 Guinea Centre Fédéral de Guinée 2 0 2 111 162 −51 2 Eliminated
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: FIBA

East Division

[edit]

Group D

[edit]

Venue: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Tanzania Dar City (H) 2 2 0 185 120 +65 4 Advance to Elite 16
2 Uganda Namuwongo Blazers 2 1 1 202 141 +61 3
3 Comoros Djabal 2 0 2 108 234 −126 2
Source: FIBA
(H) Hosts

Group E

[edit]

Venue: Lusaka, Zambia

Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 South Africa Johannesburg Giants 5 5 0 362 280 +82 10 Advance to Elite 16
2 Mozambique Ferroviário da Beira 5 4 1 432 378 +54 9
3 Zambia Matero Magic (H) 5 3 2 383 280 +103 8
4 Malawi Bravehearts 5 2 3 346 354 −8 7
5 Botswana Dolphins 5 1 4 309 333 −24 6
6 Zimbabwe Basket Hounds 5 0 5 342 442 −100 5
Source: FIBA, FIBA Report
(H) Hosts

Elite 16

[edit]

On 31 October 2025, Nairobi, Kenya and Praia, Cape Verde were announced as host venues.[26]

West Division

[edit]

New Tech Bantou withdrew after it failed to travel to Praia in time.[27]

Group A

[edit]

Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Ivory Coast Jeunesse Club d'Abidjan 3 3 0 239 203 +36 6 Advance to final round
2 Mali CRB Tombouctou 3 2 1 239 240 −1 5
3 Democratic Republic of the Congo New Generation 3 1 2 198 225 −27 4
4 Cape Verde Kriol Star (H) 3 0 3 255 263 −8 3
Source: FIBA
(H) Hosts

Group B

[edit]

Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Libya Al Ahly Ly 2 2 0 177 131 +46 4 Advance to final round
2 Ghana Spintex Knights 2 1 1 134 157 −23 3
3 Gabon Moanda 2 0 2 137 160 −23 2
4 Central African Republic New Tech Bantou 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Withdrew
Source: FIBA

Final round

[edit]
 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
 
 
 
Ivory Coast JCA Abidjan
 
 
 
Ghana Spintex Knights
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Libya Al Ahly Ly
 
 
Mali CRB Tombouctou
 
Third place game
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Semi-finals
[edit]
Third place game
[edit]
Final
[edit]

East Division

[edit]

Group A

[edit]

Pos Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Uganda Namuwongo Blazers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to final round
2 Tanzania Dar City 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Kenya Nairobi City Thunder (H) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 Zambia Matero Magic 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 Mozambique Ferroviário da Beira 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 South Africa Johannesburg Giants 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 Benin Elan Coton 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 Cameroon BEAC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Source: FIBA
(H) Hosts

Final round

[edit]
Semifinals
[edit]
Third place game
[edit]
Final
[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ The FUBA initially nominated 2024 NBL champions City Oilers as representative, however, Nam Blazers successfully protested the decision, and was given the spot based on its first place in the regular season of the 2025 season.[15]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "African clubs lining up for the marathon journey to the 2025 Road to BAL". www.fiba.basketball. 2 October 2025. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
  2. ^ "Teams List - FIBA Africa Champions Clubs ROAD TO B.A.L 2026". www.fiba.basketball. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
  3. ^ "Burundi's Dynamo exit Basketball Africa League over jersey row". Reuters. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Burundi's Dynamo BC out of BAL over Visit Rwanda protest". ESPN.com. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  5. ^ Sikubwabo, Damas (14 October 2025). "Burundi's Dynamo BBC withdraws from 2026 "Road to BAL"". The New Times. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  6. ^ "African Basketball News, Scores, Stats, Analysis, Standings". www.afrobasket.com. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  7. ^ "AS Douanes are the new champions of Burkina Faso". www.afrobasket.com. 21 September 2025. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  8. ^ GONLI, Donald (10 May 2025). "Basket-ball: La JCA double champion de Côte d'Ivoire grâce à un coaching gagnant de Stéphane Konaté". www.linfodrome.com. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  9. ^ "Basketball : Tandem et Moanda s'offrent la Coupe du Gabon et prennent la route des préliminaires de la BAL". AFC Sports (in French). 10 August 2025. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  10. ^ "Spintex Knights drafted in 2026 Basketball Africa League Qualifiers Group B". news.ghheadlines.com. October 2025. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  11. ^ "History Made!". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  12. ^ "Al Ahly Benghazi are Libya Basketball League champions!". www.afrobasket.com. 5 July 2025. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
  13. ^ "City Thunder, KPA crowned KNBL champions". Citizen Digital. 14 September 2025. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
  14. ^ "BEAC celebrate 2025 title!". www.afrobasket.com. 12 May 2025. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  15. ^ Baluku, Chrispus (1 October 2025). "Namuwongo Blazers confirm participation in Road to BAL 2026 qualifiers". New Vision. Retrieved 26 October 2025.
  16. ^ "African clubs lining up for the marathon journey to the 2025 Road to BAL". www.fiba.basketball. 2 October 2025. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
  17. ^ "VBL – Playoffs Finals : Urunani BBC de Jean-Jacques Boissy est champion du Burundi !" (in French). 29 September 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  18. ^ "Ferroviário da Beira conquista sexto título de campeão nacional de basquetebol masculino". lance.co.mz (in Portuguese). Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  19. ^ "Le COSPN sacré champion de Madagascar". 2424.mg - L'actualité à Madagascar en temps réel (in French). 14 September 2025. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
  20. ^ "ElevateTheGame: Bravehearts win CDH basketball tourney". Malawi Institute of Journalism. 9 June 2025. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  21. ^ "Johannesburg Giants crowned the 2025 South African champions". www.fiba.basketball. 23 September 2025. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  22. ^ "Dar City outshine ABC to win National Basketball League title". The Citizen. 21 November 2024. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  23. ^ "Matero Magic, Lusaka Queens retain ZBF titles". Zambia: News Diggers!. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  24. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  25. ^ "Everything you need to know about the 2026 Road to BAL". www.fiba.basketball. 15 October 2025. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  26. ^ "Nairobi and Praia to host the 2026 Road to BAL Elite 16 tournaments". www.fiba.basketball. 31 October 2025. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  27. ^ "New Tech Universite withdraw from the 2026 Road to BAL West Division Elite 16". www.fiba.basketball. 12 November 2025. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
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