ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - They successfully made it to the decisive Road to BAL Elite 16 round where there's no room for error in order to reach the fifth edition of the Basketball Africa League (BAL).
Here's everything you need to know about this phase of the BAL qualifier.
MEET THE TEAMS
Eight teams have been divided into two groups of four teams each.
Except for ABC Fighters and Stade Malien no other team in this pool has ever reached Elite 16 before.
Group A comprises ABC Fighters, Stade Malien (Mali), Chaux Sport (DR Congo) and Moanda Basket (Gabon).
Teams in Group include: Al Ahli Tripoli Sport Club (Libya), Spintex Knights (Ghana), Mighty Barrolle (Liberia) and Kadji Sport Academy (Cameroon).
ABC Fighters reached this phase of the competition thanks to a 3-0 mark accomplished in the Group Phase last month in Tripoli.
Stade Malien's 1-1 mark in Tripoli was enough to see them through to the knockout stages.
Chaux Sport dominated Group C of the West Division in Douala, finishing with a flawless 4-0 record.
Moanda Basket were among a group of three teams that finished 1-3 in Group C, but their superior goal-differential compared to Abeilles Basket and King Africa Basket was good enough to benefit from a FIBA Africa wild card.
Al Ahli Tripoli Sport Club recorded a 2-0 mark in Group A held on home soil thanks to wins over Stade Malien and Kriol Star.
While Spintex Knights and Kadji Sports Academy finished second in their respective groups, Mighty Barrolle also accepted a FIBA Africa wild card.
WHERE AND HOW TO WATCH THE GAMES
All 16 games will be live streamed on FIBA Youtube Channel, but for those wanting to watch the action in person, the Palais des Sports Treichville in Abidjan is the place to visit.
Click here for the full schedule.
COMPETITION SYSTEM
Unlike previous editions of the Elite 16 round which saw 3 teams qualify for the BAL, this year's edition will award only two spots to the BAL.
Teams will face each of their group opponents in a round-robin system and the teams that finish in the top two places of Groups A and B will advance to the Semi-Finals, where the winners will qualify for the BAL.
WHEN ARE THE GAMES TAKING PLACE?
The 2025 Road to BAL West Division Elite 16 round gets underway on Tuesday, November 5 and concludes on Sunday, November 10.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
There's a lineup of players you surely don't want to miss an opportunity of watching, and we picked a few names for you to keep an eye on:
Al Ahli Tripoli: Mohamed Sadi, Kevin Murphy and Bassein Ismail Badrush. Both Sadi and Badrush are terrific shooters who have revolutionised and boosted Libya's chances of qualifying for next year's AfroBasket. Murphy, on the other hand, was a key player in Al Ahli Benghazi's second place finish in the BAL Season 4.
ABC Fighters: Karim Mane, Jabari Narcis and Nisre Zouzoua. The first two powered the Fighters in the Group Phase with crucial plays, while Zouzoua, a Côte d'Ivoire international player, ran the team's offensive with masterclass.
Chaux Sport: Cameroonian Etienne Tametong Toko, a two-time BAL participant with FAP, was Chaux Sport's primary scoring option, averaging 18 points in 3 of 4 Chau Sport games in Douala last month. Another player to keep an eye on is 18-year-old Franck Niyembo, who made his presence felt on both ends of the floor, averaging 13 points and 10 rebounds in 3 Group C games.
23-year-old Mahamane Coulibaly the go-to guy for Stade Malien during Group A, contributing 18 points and 7 rebounds per game.
FIBA