Similar to the 2022 BAL season, the 12 teams competing in this year's edition are divided into two conferences: the Sahara Conference and the Nile Conference.
The Sahara Conference’s group phase will be played at the Dakar Arena from March 11-21, and the Nile Conference’s group phase will take place at Hassan Moustafa Sports Hall in Cairo from April 26-May 6.
Only four teams qualified from each conference will head to the BAL Playoffs and Finals, which will feature a single-elimination tournament at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda from May 21-27.
“There is incredible momentum leading up to the third BAL season, and each of the 12 teams have fought hard to earn their spot through intense competition,” said BAL president Amadou Gallo Fall.
“We are very excited to see the on-court action tip off next month in Dakar and look forward to delivering world-class basketball and entertainment to our passionate fans across Africa and around the world,” he added.
Players in Angola, Egypt, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia competed in their national leagues for a chance to play in the 2023 BAL season. Teams from Ivory Coast, Guinea, Mali, Mozambique, South Africa and Uganda secured their places through FIBA Africa-facilitated BAL qualifying tournaments from October to November last year.
Five teams will make their debut in the BAL this season, including Abidjan Basket Club (Ivory Coast), Al Ahly (Egypt), City Oilers (Uganda), Kwara Falcons (Nigeria) and Stade Malien (Mali).
The season opener will kick off with Senegal's AS Douanes taking on Ivory Coast's Abidjan Basket Club on March 11 at 4:00 p.m. UTC, and the 2022 BAL champions Tunisia's US Monastir will defend their title against Mali's Stade Malien on Sunday, March 12 at 5:30 p.m. UTC.
“Judging from the quality of the teams that qualified through the Road to the BAL tournaments which ended in November last year, we are confident that fans and viewers will be treated to top-tier basketball that reflects the caliber of the talent we have on the continent,” said FIBA Africa and BAL board president Anibal Manave.
