2027 BAL qualification
| 2027 BAL qualification | |
|---|---|
| Association | FIBA Africa |
| League | Road to BAL |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | 1 October – 29 November 2026 |
| Teams | 26 |
| West Division | |
| East Division | |
The qualification for the 2027 BAL season, also known as Road to BAL 2027, is the qualifying tournaments for the seventh season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The tournaments are organised by FIBA Africa.
The competition began on 1 October and will end on 29 November 2026.
Teams
The official list of teams were announced by FIBA on 1 October 2026.
West Division
| Association | Team | Qualification method | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entered in Elite 16 | |||
 Ivory Coast |
JCA Kings | 2026 Ligue d'Or champions | |
| Entered in first round | |||
 Algeria |
NB Staouéli | 2025–26 Algerian Basketball Championship | |
 Benin |
Energie BBC | 2026 Benin Basketball Super League champions | |
 Cameroon |
FAP | 2026 Cameroonian Basketball Cup winners | |
 Cape Verde |
Kriol Star | ||
 Congo |
Avenir du Rail | 2026 Congo National Championship | |
 DR Congo |
ASB Onatra | 2026 Coupe du Congo winners | |
 Gabon |
Espoir BC | 2026 Gabonese Basketball Cup champions | |
 Ghana |
Spintex Knights | 2026 Accra Basketball League champions | |
 Guinea |
Nabaya Sofas | 2026 Guinea Ligue 1 champions | |
 Mali |
Stade Malien | 2025–26 Mali Ligue 1 champions | |
 Liberia |
NPA Pythons | 2025–26 Liberia Basketball Association champions | |
 Libya |
Al-Ittihad Tripoli | 2025–26 Libyan Division I Basketball League | |
East Division
| Association | Team | Qualification method | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entered in Elite 16 | |||
 Kenya |
Nairobi City Thunder | 2025–26 KBF Premier League champions | |
 Tanzania |
Dar City | 2025 National Basketball League champions | |
| Entered in first round | |||
 Botswana |
Dolphins | 2026 Botswana Basketball League champions | |
 Burundi |
Urunani | 2026 Burundian Basketball Championship | |
 Comoros |
Ushindzi | 2026 Comoros Basketball Championship | |
 Madagascar |
COSPN | 2026 N1A champions | |
 Malawi |
Bravehearts | 2025–26 BASMAL National Championship champions | |
 Mozambique |
Ferroviário da Beira | 2026 Liga Moçambicana de Basquetebol champions | |
 South Africa |
Soweto Panthers | 2026 South African National Basketball Championship champions | |
 South Sudan |
Patriots | 2026 CESBA champions | |
 Uganda |
Namuwongo Blazers | 2026 NBL Uganda champions | |
 Zambia |
Munali Suns | 2025–26 Zambia Basketball League champions | |
 Zimbabwe |
Harare Kings | 2026 BUZ National Championship champions | |
First round
The first round group stage began on 21 October and ended on 31 October. The venues for each group were announced on 1 October 2026.
West Division
Group A
Venue: Tripoli, Libya
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al-Ittihad Tripoli (H) |
3 | 3 | 0 | 253 | 202 | +51 | 6 | Advance to Elite 16 |
| 2 | NB Staouéli |
3 | 2 | 1 | 245 | 239 | +6 | 5 | |
| 3 | Stade Malien |
3 | 1 | 2 | 164 | 166 | −2 | 4 | |
| 4 | Kriol Star |
3 | 0 | 3 | 135 | 190 | −55 | 3 |
Group B
Venue: Tripoli, Libya
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spintex Knights |
3 | 3 | 0 | 276 | 227 | +49 | 6 | Advance to Elite 16 |
| 2 | Nabaya Sofas |
3 | 2 | 1 | 248 | 221 | +27 | 5 | |
| 3 | Energie BBC |
3 | 1 | 2 | 220 | 241 | −21 | 4 | |
| 4 | NPA Pythons |
3 | 0 | 3 | 203 | 258 | −55 | 3 |
Source: FIBA
Group C
Venue: Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avenir du Rail (H) |
3 | 3 | 0 | 209 | 194 | +15 | 6 | Advance to Elite 16 |
| 2 | Espoir BC |
3 | 1 | 2 | 174 | 174 | 0 | 4 | |
| 3 | ASB Onatra |
3 | 1 | 2 | 205 | 212 | −7 | 4 | |
| 4 | FAP |
3 | 1 | 2 | 173 | 181 | −8 | 4 |
Ranking of third-placed teams
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stade Malien |
3 | 1 | 2 | 164 | 166 | −2 | 4 | Advance to Elite 16 |
| 2 | ASB Onatra |
3 | 1 | 2 | 205 | 212 | −7 | 4 | Eliminated |
| 3 | Energie BBC |
3 | 1 | 2 | 220 | 241 | −21 | 4 |
Source: FIBA
East Division
Group D
Venue: Hoima, Uganda
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Urunani |
4 | 4 | 0 | 375 | 285 | +90 | 8 | Advance to Elite 16 |
| 2 | Namuwongo Blazers (H) |
4 | 3 | 1 | 372 | 263 | +109 | 7 | |
| 3 | Patriots |
4 | 2 | 2 | 347 | 309 | +38 | 6 | |
| 4 | COSPN |
4 | 1 | 3 | 292 | 336 | −44 | 5 | |
| 5 | Ushindzi |
4 | 0 | 4 | 219 | 412 | −193 | 4 |
Group E
Venue: Lusaka, Zambia
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Munali Suns (H) |
5 | 5 | 0 | 412 | 336 | +76 | 10 | Advance to Elite 16 |
| 2 | Ferroviário da Beira |
5 | 4 | 1 | 485 | 370 | +115 | 9 | |
| 3 | Dolphins |
5 | 3 | 2 | 342 | 398 | −56 | 8 | |
| 4 | Bravehearts |
5 | 2 | 3 | 365 | 397 | −32 | 7 | |
| 5 | Harare Kings |
5 | 1 | 4 | 334 | 356 | −22 | 6 | |
| 6 | Soweto Panthers |
5 | 0 | 5 | 300 | 381 | −81 | 5 |
Elite 16
The Elite 16 began on 9 November and will end on 29 November.
West Division
Venue: Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JCA Kings (H) |
3 | 3 | 0 | 241 | 208 | +33 | 6 | Advance to final round |
| 2 | Stade Malien |
3 | 2 | 1 | 252 | 246 | +6 | 5 | |
| 3 | Avenir du Rail |
3 | 1 | 2 | 233 | 234 | −1 | 4 | |
| 4 | Spintex Knights |
3 | 0 | 3 | 234 | 272 | −38 | 3 |
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al-Ittihad Tripoli |
3 | 3 | 0 | 257 | 187 | +70 | 6 | Advance to final round |
| 2 | NB Staouéli |
3 | 2 | 1 | 208 | 211 | −3 | 5 | |
| 3 | Espoir BC |
3 | 1 | 2 | 191 | 217 | −26 | 4 | |
| 4 | Nabaya Sofas |
3 | 0 | 3 | 195 | 236 | −41 | 3 |
Source: FIBA
Final round
| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| JCA Kings | ||||||
| NB Staouéli | ||||||
| Al-Ittihad Tripoli | ||||||
| Stade Malien | ||||||
| Third place game | ||||||
Semi-finals
| 14 Nov 2025 | JCA Kings |
vs. | NB Staouéli |
Abidjan, Ivory Coast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19:00 (GMT +0) | Scoring by quarter: –, –, –, – | |||
| Boxscore | Arena: Palais des Sports de Treichville |
|||
| 14 Nov 2025 | Al-Ittihad Tripoli |
vs. | Stade Malien |
Abidjan, Ivory Coast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16:30 (GMT +0) | Scoring by quarter: –, –, –, – | |||
| Boxscore | Arena: Palais des Sports de Treichville |
|||
Third place game
| 15 Nov 2025 | TBD  |
vs. | TBD |
Abidjan, Ivory Coast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16:30 (GMT +0) | Scoring by quarter: –, –, –, – | |||
| Arena: Palais des Sports de Treichville |
||||
Final
| 15 Nov 2025 | TBD |
vs. | TBD |
Abidjan, Ivory Coast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19:00 (GMT +0) | Scoring by quarter: –, –, –, – | |||
| Arena: Palais des Sports de Treichville |
||||
East Division
Venue: Nairobi, Kenya
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nairobi City Thunder (H) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to final round |
| 2 | Patriots |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Munali Suns |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | Urunani |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dar City |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to final round |
| 2 | Dolphins |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Namuwongo Blazers |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | Ferroviário da Beira |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match(es) will be played: 23 November 2026. Source: FIBA
Final round
| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| Third place game | ||||||
Semi-finals
| TBD |
vs. | TBD |
Nairobi, Kenya | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scoring by quarter: –, –, –, – | ||||
| Arena: Kasarani Indoor Arena |
||||
| TBD |
vs. | TBD |
Nairobi, Kenya | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scoring by quarter: –, –, –, – | ||||
| Arena: Kasarani Indoor Arena |
||||
Third place game
| TBD |
vs. | TBD |
Nairobi, Kenya | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scoring by quarter: –, –, –, – | ||||
| Arena: Kasarani Indoor Arena |
||||
Final
| TBD |
vs. | TBD |
Nairobi, Kenya | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scoring by quarter: –, –, –, – | ||||
| Arena: Kasarani Indoor Arena |
||||
References
- 1 2 3 "Introducing the Road to BAL 2027". www.fiba.basketball. 1 October 2026. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ "Teams List - FIBA Africa Champions Clubs ROAD TO B.A.L 2026". www.fiba.basketball. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ "La JCA Kings est champion de Côte d'Ivoire". Sport-ivoire.ci (in French). 9 June 2026. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ "Basketball Africa League : «Road to BAL-2027» : le NB Staouéli à l'assaut de Tripoli". elmoudjahid.dz (in French). 21 October 2026. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ "Energie BBC team were crowned 2026 Champions!". www.afrobasket.com. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ @mindefcm; (7 September 2026). "FAP reign supreme in the 2026 Cameroon Basketball Cup of senior men's and women's finals at the Mfandena Multipurpose Sports Complex in Yaounde on September 6, 2026" – via Instagram.
- ↑ Rail, Avenir du (24 August 2026). "Champion du Congo au bout du suspense". Avenir du Rail (in French). Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ "Coupe du Congo-Basketball : ONATRA s'impose devant Mazembe, CNSS écrase l'ASB Lupopo". Radio Okapi (in French). 18 September 2026. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ Ndong, Michel (2 April 2023). "Coupe du Gabon de basketball : Espoir BC s'arroge le trophée et rafle la mise". Gabonreview.com | Actualité du Gabon | (in French). Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ "Nabaya Basket Club have been crowned 2026 champions!". www.afrobasket.com. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ "Basketball-Play-offs Ligue 1 : le Stade Malien chez les hommes et le Djoliba AC chez les dames sacrés champions du Mali". Malijet (in French). 16 July 2026. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ "Liberia: NPA Pythons Crowned 2026 LBA First Division Champions - FrontPageAfrica". frotnpageafricaonline.com. 17 August 2026. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ "Al Ittihad lifted Libyan Basketball League title!". afrobasket.com. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ "Kenya News - The Online Kenyan". theonlinekenyan.com. The Online Kenyan. 4 October 2026. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ @darcitybasketball; (6 December 2025). "NATIONAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONS 2025" – via Instagram.
- ↑ @dolphins.bc; (7 September 2026). "🏆 CHAMPIONS" – via Instagram.
- ↑ "Urunani are the 2026 ABL Champions!". www.afrobasket.com. 12 August 2026. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ @comoresbasket; (15 October 2026). "🏀🇰🇲 BONNE COMPÉTITION À USHINDZI CLUB" – via Instagram.
- ↑ Adnews (5 October 2026). "Basket -N1A phase finale 2026: le COSPN et la GNBC conservent leurs couronnes – Newsmada". Newsmada (in French). Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ @BASKETBALLMALAWI; (11 June 2026). "Last weekend BASMAL hosted the 2025-2026 National Club Championships in Mzuzu, Katoto Community ground" – via Facebook.
- ↑ @radar.jovem; (27 September 2026). "🏆🇲🇿 Ferroviário da Beira sagra-se tricampeão do basquetebol moçambicano em 2026 após vencer os playoffs por 3-0 diante do Maxaquene" – via Instagram.
- ↑ "Basketball National League Welcomes FIBA Africa Confirm". SA Sports Press. 15 October 2026. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ @4EPL4; (11 August 2026). "🏀 HIGHLIGHTS" – via Facebook.
- ↑ Kule, Edwin Kyle (22 August 2026). "Nam Blazers are 2026 National Basketball League Champions". Kawowo Sports. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
- ↑ @growingthegame10; (14 June 2026). "MUNALI SUNS ARE CROWNED ZAMBIA NATIONAL CLUB CHAMPIONS. 🏀🏆🇿🇲" – via Instagram.
- ↑ @midl.andsbasketballassociation; (4 May 2026). "The Battle for Greatness: Kings Crowned at BUZ National Championships 2026" – via Instagram.
- ↑ "Preview: 2027 Road to BAL Elite 16". www.fiba.basketball. 8 November 2026. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
| Seasons | |
|---|---|
| Qualifying rounds | |
| Playoffs | |
| Teams | |
| Arenas | |
| Competition stages | |
| Awards | |
| Records and statistics | |
| Associated |
|
