The defending BAL champion, US Monastir (Tunisia), will be accompanied by the eleven best clubs on the continent, announced a press release sent to APA on Monday. The 2023 season of the African Basketball League (BAL, English acronym) will begin on March 11, 2023 at the Dakar Arena in Senegal. For three months, the 12 best clubs from 12 African countries will compete in a total of 38 matches in Dakar (Senegal); Cairo (Egypt) and Kigali (Rwanda).
The 12 teams include defending BAL champions US Monastir (Tunisia) and five other teams returning from the 2022 season. Five teams will be playing the tournament for the first time. They are Abidjan Basket Club (Côte d’Ivoire), Al Ahly (Egypt), City Oilers (Uganda), Kwara Falcons (Nigeria) and Stade Malien (Mali). AS Douanes du Senegal return to BAL after participating in the inaugural season in 2021. They will face Abidjan Basket Club on March 11 at 16:00 GMT for the opening match.
US Monastir, defending champions, will begin the defense of their title on Sunday March 12 at 17:30 GMT against Stade Malien.
The 12 teams will be divided into two conferences: the Sahara Conference and the Nile Conference. Each of them will play a 15-game group stage in which each team will play the other five teams in their conference once. The Sahara Conference group stage will take place at the Dakar Arena from March 11-21, and the Nile Conference group stage will take place at the Hassan Mostafa Indoor Sports Complex in Cairo from April 26-May 6.
The top four teams from each conference will qualify for the BAL playoffs and finals, which will include a knockout tournament at BK Arena in Kigali from May 21-27.
“There is incredible momentum leading into BAL’s third season, and each of the 12 teams fought hard to earn their place through intense competition,” said BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall.
“We can’t wait to see the start of on-court action next month in Dakar and look forward to bringing world-class basketball and entertainment to our passionate fans across Africa and around the world.” “, he continued.
Anibal Manave, president of FIBA Africa and of the BAL board of directors hopes for a competition that meets the expectations of the public. “Judging by the quality of the teams that qualified from the Road to the BAL tournaments that concluded in November last year, we are confident that fans and viewers will be treated to top-notch basketball. level that reflects the caliber of talent we have on the continent,” he said.
The national league champions of Angola, Egypt, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia qualified directly for the BAL 2023 season by winning their respective national leagues. The remaining six teams, which hail from Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Mozambique, South Africa and Uganda, secured their participation through the Road to the BAL qualifying tournaments hosted by FIBA Africa in across the continent from October to November 2022.
According to its promoters, this year’s tournament will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories on television, digital media and social media. The Rwanda Development Board, Nike, Jordan Brand and Wilson will return as founding partners of BAL. The league’s list of world-class marketing partners also includes Hennessy and Envol City.
On May 28, US Monastir defeated Petro de Luanda to win the BAL 2022 final in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,000 at BK Arena. The 2022 BAL season brought together players from 23 countries in Africa, Europe and the United States. It also reached fans in 214 countries and territories in 14 languages – including all 54 African countries – and generated more than 600 million online engagements.
Below is the full tournament schedule:
DATEDAYHOMEFARJOURLOCAL TIMEHE
SAHARAN CONFERENCE
03/11/2023SamediAS CustomsCombatants ABCG116H0011H00
03/12/2023SundayREGKwara FalconsG214H0010:00 AM
03/12/2023SundayStade MalienUnited States MonastirG317H3013h30
14/03/2023MardiFaucons KwaraStade MalienG416H0012h00
14/03/2023MardiCombattants ABCRÉGG519h3015H30
15/03/2023MercrediÉtats-Unis MonastirFaucons KwaraG616H0012h00
03/15/2023WednesdayRÉGAS CustomsG77:30 p.m.3:30 p.m.
03/17/2023FridayABC FightersUnited States MonastirG816H0012h00
17/03/2023FridayAS DouanesStade MalienG97:30 p.m.15:30 p.m.
18/03/2023SaturdayStade MalienGREG1014H0010:00 AM
18/03/2023 SaturdayFaucons KwaraAS CustomsG1117H3013h30
20/03/2023LundiFaucons KwaraCombattants ABCG1216H0012h00
03/20/2023MondayREGUnited States MonastirG137:30 p.m.3:30 p.m.
03/21/2023TuesdayABC FightersStade MalienG1416H0012h00
03/21/2023TuesdayUnited States MonastirAS CustomsG157:30 p.m.3:30 p.m.
NILE CONFERENCE
26/04/2023MercrediAl-AhlyCFV – BeiraG1618h0012h00
27/04/2023JeudiSLACLe CapG1717H0013H00
04/27/2023ThursdayPetro de LuandaCity greasersG1820H3014H30
29/04/2023SaturdayCFV – BeiraPetro de LuandaG1916H0010:00 AM
04/29/2023SaturdayCity greasersAl-AhlyG2019h3013h30
30/04/2023DimancheSLACCFV – BeiraG2117H0011H00
04/30/2023DimanchePetro de LuandaLe CapG2220H3014H30
02/05/2023TuesdayCity greasersSLACG2317H0011H00
05/02/2023MardiLe CapAl-AhlyG2420H3014H30
05/03/2023MercrediSLACPetro de LuandaG2517H0011H00
03/05/2023MercrediCFV – BeiraLe CapG2620H3014H30
05/05/2023FridayCity greasersCFV – BeiraG2716H0010:00 AM
05/05/2023VendrediPetro de LuandaAl-AhlyG2819h3013h30
05/06/2023SaturdayCape TownCity greasersG2916H0010:00 AM
05/06/2023SamediAl-AhlySLACG3019h3013h30
PLAYOFFS
QUARTER-FINALS
05/21/2023SundaySeed 2 NilSeed 3 SaharaG3116H0010:00 AM
21/05/2023DimancheGraine 1 SaharaGraine 4 NilG3219h3013h30
22/05/2023LundiGraine 2 SaharaGraine 3 NilG3317H0011H00
22/05/2023LundiGraine 1 NilGraine 4 SaharaG3420H3014H30
SEMI-FINALS
25/05/2023MercrediW31W32G35*17H0011H00
05/25/2023MercrediW33W34G36*20H3014H30
THIRD PLACE
05/27/2023VendrediL35L36G37*18h0012h00
CHAMPIONSHIP
05/27/2023SamediW35W36G38*18h0012h00
