Road to BAL 2026 tips off as continental qualifiers begin

The journey to the 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL) season commenced this Friday, October 17, with the start of the high-stakes “Road to BAL” qualifiers. While the main BAL tournament, a joint project of FIBA and the NBA, will not begin until early next year, the path for Africa’s elite clubs to secure their coveted spots starts now.

Over the next five weeks, 20 clubs from 20 different nations will compete in a series of intense group-phase matches. The action began today with a full slate of games across different regional divisions.

In the West Division, Group A games were held in Bamako, featuring matches between Al Ahly Benghazy and Centre Fédéral Guinée, as well as CRBT versus AS Douanes.

Simultaneously, Group B tipped off in Abidjan, where the LRPC Oilers faced Elan Coton BBC, and the Spintex Knights took on Jeunesse Club d’Abidjan.

In the East Division’s Group D, hosted in Dar es Salaam, the competition saw Djabal Club square off against the Dar City Basketball Team. This qualification tournament represents the crucial first step for these clubs, whose ultimate goal is to earn a place in the prestigious pan-African professional league next year.