DAKAR/RABAT (Senegal/Morocco) – The Basketball Africa League (BAL) have announced that 156 players from a record 28 countries across Africa, Europe and the U.S. will compete in the league's milestone fifth season, which will tip off on April 5 in Rabat, Morocco.*
In the season opener, 2023 third-place finisher Stade Malien (Mali) will face 2024 third-place finisher Rivers Hoopers (Nigeria). In the second game, home team Fath Union Sport (FUS; Morocco) will take on first-time BAL participant Al Ittihad (Egypt).
Click here to view the 2025 Basketball Africa League rosters.
The BAL also announced that the league will honor 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, the home team in each country will play on every gameday. The Kalahari Conference Group Phase will take place from April 5 to 13 in Rabat. The Sahara Conference group phase will take place from Saturday, April 26 to May 4 at the Dakar Arena in Senegal. The Nile Conference group phase will take place from Saturday, May 17 to 25 at BK Arena in Kigali. 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 to 14.
The 2025 BAL season will reach fans in 214 countries and territories in 17 languages through free-to-air and paid TV broadcast partnerships. Livestreaming will occur on the NBA App, NBA.com, BAL.NBA.com and the BAL's YouTube channel.
For more information on Season 5 of the BAL, click here.
*Rosters are subject to change and will be updated in real-time on the team roster pages at BAL.NBA.com.
FIBA