ABIDJAN (Ivory Coast) – Whoever makes the fewest mistakes during Saturday’s semi-finals of the Road to BAL 2025, the Elite 16 West Division qualifier, will write a new chapter in the history of their club.
These are the most important matches of the season for Al Ahli Tripoli Sport (Libya), Kadji Sport Academy KSA (Cameroon), Stade Malien (Mali) and ABC Fighters (Ivory Coast).
But which of these four teams will qualify for the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) season? The winning teams will do so, while the losing teams will participate in Sunday’s third-place game.
Here’s what you need to know about the Elite 16 West Division semifinals.
This is the first time that the reigning champions of Mali and Cameroon have faced each other, and this match could go either way.
Unlike Stade Malien, who finished third in the 2023 season, KSA – a Cameroonian club recently founded by former University of Miami player and current team member Kenneth Kadji – is looking to qualify for the first time for the 2023 season.
Two teams that share some statistical similarities, Stade Malien and KSA, however, had different experiences ahead of Saturday’s semi-final.
While Stade Malien is currently on a four-game winning streak, dating back to its 81-76 victory over Kriol Star in October in Tripoli, KSA has had its ups and downs since hosting Group C of the preliminary round in Douala. She has lost two of her seven matches so far.
Malian international Ibrahim Djambo, who enjoyed a successful career in Europe, was an important reinforcement for Stade Malien in the Elite 16, averaging 18 points per game.
The team is made up of former and current Cameroonian players – Jeremy Nzeulie, Kenneth Kadji, Cedric Kenfack and Gedeon Pitard – and counts Senegalese Makhtar Gueye – an experienced player from Ferroviario da Beira – as one of its best elements.
One of the characteristics of KSA’s game that cannot be overlooked is the contribution of its bench, which has been paramount throughout the playoffs.
With an average of 18 points over the last three matches, Mahamane Coulibaly has been the main option for Stade Malien.
|
TEAM |
MATCHES PLAYED |
WON-LOST |
% SUCCESSFUL SHOT |
3PT% |
% LANCERS FRANCS |
REBOUNDS PER GAME |
POINTS PER GAME |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
*Rebounds per game in Elite 16 **Points per game
Libyan champions Al Ahli Tripoli Sport Club had no major problems en route to the semi-finals. Their biggest challenge was winning 96-91 in overtime against Kadji Sport Academy.
Tripoli is currently the only team not to have suffered a defeat. Will they manage to get rid of the possible support of the local supporters in a match at stake for one or the other of the two teams?
The two teams will face each other for the first time in their history. Al Ahli Tripoli will attempt to secure their first qualification for the BAL, while the ABC Fighters will look to return to the African competition for the second time since 2023.
Angok Yak Deng is one of four international players who joined Al Ahli Tripoli for the Elite 16. He scored 16 points and grabbed 9 rebounds on average in three matches.
Unlike Al Ahli Tripoli, the Fighters lost two of their three Elite 16 matches against Stade Malien and Chaux Sport of DR Congo.
ABC’s two defeats raise the question of whether the Ivorian representatives can prevail against a high-flying Al Ahli Tripoli.
Here’s what the numbers for both teams reveal:
|
TEAM |
MATCHES PLAYED |
WON-LOST |
% SUCCESSFUL SHOT |
%3PT |
% LANCERS FRANCS |
REBOUNDS PER GAME |
POINTS PER GAME |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
*Rebounds per game in Elite 16 **Points per game
FIBA
