The fifth season of the Basketball Africa League,BAL, is set to tip off This Saturday April 5th in Rabat,Morocco.
In the opening match 2023 third-place finisher Stade Malien from Mali will face 2024 third-place finisher Rivers Hoopers of Nigeria.
In the second game, home team Fath Union Sport,FUS; Morocco, will take on first-time BAL participant Al Ittihad of Egypt.
The BAL is also set to honour NBA Legend Dikembe Mutombo throughout the season, including by featuring a “DM55” patch on all player jerseys and select warm-up gear, as well as moments of silence ahead of each conference group phase. The late four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer served as the NBA’s first global ambassador following his retirement in 2009.
During the 2025 BAL season, each four-team conference will play a 12-game group phase during which each team will face the other three teams in its conference twice.
During group phase play, every team will play on every gameday.
The Kalahari Conference group phase will take place from April 5 – Sunday, April 13 in Rabat.
The Sahara Conference group phase will take place from Saturday, April 26 – Sunday, May 4 at the Dakar Arena in Senegal.
The Nile Conference group phase will take place from Saturday, May 17 – Sunday, May 25 at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.
Eight teams from across the three conferences will travel to Pretoria, South Africa for four seeding games followed by an eight-game, single-elimination playoffs and finals from Friday, June 6 – Saturday, June 14.