Basketball: The Road to BAL 2027 launches over twenty African clubs toward Abidjan and Nairobi

The qualifiers for the seventh season of the Basketball Africa League, dubbed Road to BAL 2027, began on October 21, 2026, and continue on Friday, October 23, in Tripoli, Libya, and Hoima, Uganda. More than twenty clubs from all regions of the continent are competing for sixteen spots in the final rounds in Abidjan and Nairobi, according to FIBA.

Five groups, two divisions, four weeks

The competition is organized into five groups split between a West division and an East division, running from October 21 to November 29, 2026. The top two teams from each group advance to the Elite 16 of their respective divisions: in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, from November 9 to 15 for the West, and in Nairobi, Kenya, from November 23 to 29 for the East. The two best teams from each conference then secure a ticket to the 2027 BAL season, FIBA specifies. Eight of the participating clubs were present last year.

Tripoli: Al Ittihad flawless, Kriol Star forfeits

In Group A, in Tripoli, Libya's Al Ittihad defeated the Algerian club Nadi Basket Staoueli 93-69, then the Cape Verdean side Kriol Star 86-66. Staoueli won 92-77 against Stade Malien. Kriol Star, having arrived late in Tripoli, was unable to play its opening match against the Malians on October 21: FIBA declared them to have forfeited and recorded a 0-20 score. The group concludes on October 23 with Staoueli vs. Kriol Star and Stade Malien vs. Al Ittihad.

In Group B, also in Tripoli, Ghana's Spintex Knights won both of their matches, 96-90 against Guinea's Nabaya and 88-66 against Liberia's NPA Pythons. Energie BC, from Benin, dominated the Pythons 92-69 before falling 80-57 to Nabaya.

Hoima: Uganda and Burundi in the lead

In Group D, in Hoima, the Ugandan Namuwongo Blazers crushed the Comorian club Ushindzi 109-45, then Madagascar's COSPN 99-56. Urunani, from Burundi, defeated the South Sudan Patriots 84-79 and COSPN 93-69. Two matches are scheduled for October 23.

The final two groups will follow: Group C in Brazzaville, from October 24 to 26, featuring ASB Onatra from DR Congo, FAP from Cameroon, Espoir Basketball from Gabon, and Avenir du Rail from Congo; then Group E in Lusaka, from October 27 to 31, with clubs from Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

Launched in 2021 with the NBA, the BAL remains the only private pan-African basketball league. For the clubs in Hoima, Brazzaville, or Lusaka, qualification means salaries, television exposure, and, for some players, a gateway to Europe or the United States.