Basketball Africa League 2024 kicks off in Pretoria

The Basketball Africa League (BAL) kicks off its biggest season to date on 9 March in Pretoria, South Africa. Twelve top club teams from 12 African countries will battle it out in a record 48 matches, which will be watched by a much larger audience.

Expanded fixtures with a pan-African flavour:

The 2024 season features an expanded format with qualifiers played in three groups: the Kalahari (Pretoria), the Nile (Cairo) and the Sahara (Dakar). South African, Egyptian and Senegalese fans will witness the region’s finest stars on their home turf.

The top two teams from each division, as well as the top two third-place finishers, will converge on Kigali, Rwanda, for the final showdown. Four tightly-contested seeding matches will pave the way for an eight-game single-elimination tournament, with the Grand Final to be held on 1 June.

This marks the first time in BAL’s history that seasonal matches will be held in four different African cities, demonstrating the league’s expanding reach and commitment to continental engagement.

BAL launches new stars:

Adding to the excitement of the tournament, the inaugural BAL Training Camp kicked off in Rabat, Morocco, from 2 to 4 February. Thirty talented players from Africa, Europe, the United States and elsewhere will have the opportunity to impress team executives, coaches and scouts with their skills and athleticism.

BAL Ambassador and former NBA centre Ian Mahinmi is expected to attend the event to further emphasise the league’s commitment to developing basketball talent on the continent.

“African players are passionate, hard-working and their skills are quickly catching up with their athleticism,” said Robert Pack, a former NBA guard and assistant coach who will serve as director of the joint camp. The future of African basketball is full of potential and BAL has a key role to play in realising this potential.

With an expanded format, a pan-African stage and a commitment to developing the superstars of the future, the 2024 AfroBasketball League promises to be the most exciting and impactful tournament to date. Get ready for explosive dunks, fierce competition and a celebration of the meteoric rise of African basketball.