The qualification for the 2024 BAL season, also known as Road to BAL 2024, was the 4th edition of the qualifying tournaments for the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The tournaments were organised by FIBA Africa and are held from 3 October to 26 November 2023. The format was the same as to the previous seasons, with the competition divided in the group phase and the elite 16.
In the West Division, Bangui Sporting Club won the division and became the first team from the Central African Republic to qualify. Runners-up were FUS Rabat and Al Ahly Benghazi finished third, and became the first team from Libya to qualify. In the East Division, the Cape Town Tigers took their second division title, while runners-up City Oilers qualified for a second straight season. Dynamo became the first team from Burundi to qualify.
Teams The representatives of Guinea, Uganda, Mali, Mozambique, Ivory Coast and South Africa were directly qualified for the Elite 16, as teams from those countries qualified in the 2023 tournaments.
The teams were allocated as follows:
Group phase: 20 teams National champions from 20 associations Elite 16: 7 teams 6 teams from countries that finished 1st-3rd in the 2023 BAL qualification 1 wild card The final list of teams was announced by FIBA Africa on 21 September 2023. On 30 September 2023, FIBA announced that Nigelec from Niger and Roche-Bois Warriors of Mauritius had pulled out of the tournament. On 5 October, FIBA announced Elan Coton of Benin withdrew, causing the cancellation of Group A with the remaining two teams automatically advancing.
Locations
West Division Entry stageAssociationTeamQualification methodHead coachElite 16(2 teams) GuineaSLACWinner of FGBB-organised qualification tournamentPaolo Povia Ivory CoastABC Fighters2023 Ivorian Basketball Championship championsMilutin Nikolić MaliStade Malien (withdrew)2022–23 Ligue 1 champions—Group phase(7 teams) BeninElan Coton (withdrew)2023 Benin Basketball Super League champions— CameroonFAP2023 Elite Messieurs championsKevin Ngwese Central African RepublicBangui Sporting Club2023 Bangui Basketball League championsLiz Mills ChadLamantins (forfeited after one game)2023 Ligue de Basketball de N'Djaména 1st place— DR CongoVirunga2023 Coupe du Congo championsPeter Mulolwa GabonEspoir2023 Gabonese Cup championsMichael Oganda Igoue LibyaAl Ahly Benghazi2022–23 Libyan Division I Basketball League championsAoun Monaem MoroccoFUS Rabat2022–23 Division Excellence championsSaid El Bouzidi NigerNigelec (withdrew)No national championship organised—
East Division Entry stageAssociationTeamQualification methodHead coachElite 16(3+1 teams) MozambiqueFerroviário da Beira2023 Liga Moçambicana de Basquetebol championsLuis Hernandez Lopez South AfricaCape Town Tigers 2023 BNL season championsFlorsheim Ngwenya UgandaCity Oilers 2022 NBL Uganda season championsMandy JuruniNoneNBA Academy AfricaWild cardAlfred AboyaGroup phase(10 teams) BotswanaDolphins2023 Botswana Basketball League championsTrynos Moyo BurundiDynamo2023 Viva Basketball League championsOlivier Ndayiragije ComorosUshindzi2022–23 Comoros Basketball Championship championsAli Abdoulwahab EthiopiaSebeta City (withdrew)2023 Ethiopian Premier League champions— KenyaKPA2023 KBF Premier League championsGuy Arnaud TanzaniaPazi2023 National Basketball League championsHenry Mwinuka MadagascarCOSPN2022 N1A championsJulien Chaignot MalawiBrave Hearts (withdrew)2023 BASMAL National Championship champions— MauritiusRoche-Bois Warriors (withdrew)2023 MBBF Super League champions— NamibiaUNAM Wolves2022 Khomas Basketball Association League championsTitus Mwahafa SeychellesBeau Vallon Heat2023 Seychelles Basketball League championsAugustin Scholastique ZambiaMunali Suns2022–23 Zambia Basketball League championsHarry Chansa ZimbabweJBC2023 BUZ National Championship championsAddison Chiware Formerly participating associations that did not register a team
Algeria Equatorial Guinea Ghana South Sudan
Group phase The venues and schedule for the group phase were confirmed on 21 September 2023. The 20 teams were drawn into five groups, geographically divided into two divisions. The games will begin on 3 October 2023 and end 22 October 2023.
Eleven teams, Al Ahly Benghazi, FUS Rabat, Lamantins, Virunga, Pazi, Sebeta City, UNAM Wolves, Munali Suns, JBC and Ushindzi will make their debut appearances in the Road to BAL competition. Lamantins were the first team from Chad to play in the Road to BAL.
West Division
Group A On 30 September, Nigelec withdrew from the tournament. On 5 October, Elan Coton withdrew as well, which subsequently led to FIBA 's decision to cancel the group's games; the two remaining teams (Al Ahly Benghazi and FUS Rabat) automatically qualified for the Elite 16.
The games of Group A are expected to be played from 6 to 10 October in Benghazi, Libya.
Group B The games of Group B were played from 6 to 10 October in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Lamantins refused to play the second half of their opening match against FAP, and were given a technical loss. Following another forfeited game, they were subsequently disqualified and the team's remaining matches were cancelled and scores were forgotten.
East Division
Group C The games of Group C were initially scheduled for 10–15 October in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The games were later moved to 19–21 October. Sebeta City from Ethiopia was drawn into the group, but withdrew later. Elan Coton from Benin, which was originally drawn into Group A, replaced the team.
Group D The games of Group D were initially scheduled for 17–22 October in Gaborone, Botswana, but were eventually moved to 21–23 October. Bravehearts from Malawi were also drawn in the group but withdrew before the start of the tournament.
Group E The games of Group E are expected to be played from 3 to 7 October in Antananarivo, Madagascar.
Elite 16 The Elite 16 is composed of sixteen teams that are geographically divided into Group E and Group F. The teams that finish in the top three places of their division qualify for the 2024 BAL season.
The West Division was initially supposed to be held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, for a second consecutive season. However, on 12 October, FIBA Africa announced the Yaoundé Multipurpose Sports Complex in Yaoundé was the new host of the games, because the venue in Abidjan was unavailable. The East Division will be hosted in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the third season in a row.
The draw was held on 23 October 2023 in Gaborone. Teams that played in the same group in the first phase could not be drawn in the same group for the Elite 16.
West Division
Group A
Group B
Final stage
Semi-finals
Third place game
Final
East Division All indicated times are in GMT+2.
Group phase
Group A
Group B
Final phase
Semi-finals
Third place game
Final
Statistics
Note: Per the FIBA website, some boxscores of games are missing and have not been included in the averages.
Individual statistic leaders CategoryPlayerTeam(s)StatisticPlayedEfficiency per gameAliou DiarraFUS Rabat20.04Points per gameDhieu DeingPazi22.25Rebounds per gameIsrael OtoboDynamo13.18Assists per gameSolo DiabateAl Ahly Benghazi6.84Steals per gamePerry PettyCity Oilers4.04Blocks per gameHasheem ThabeetPazi2.84Turnovers per gameNoah PendukaJBC4.54Minutes per gameDhieu DeingPazi39.35FG%Aliou DiarraFUS Rabat71.9%43P%Jalone FridayFAP62.5%4FT%Dhieu DeingPazi88.9%5Double-doublesIsrael OtoboDynamo48
Individual game highs
CategoryPlayerTeamStatisticEfficiencyAliou DiarraFUS Rabat37PointsChris CrawfordAl Ahly Benghazi39ReboundsAliou DiarraFUS Rabat21AssistsSolo DiabateAl Ahly Benghazi12StealsSolo DiabateAl Ahly Benghazi6Perry Petty (2x)City OilersBlocksFrank BetoudjiVirunga9
References