Basketball Africa League, 2nd Edition [BAL]It will start in Dakar, Senegal on March 5, with the 12 participating teams confirmed and the defending champions Zamalek back.
The group phase of the tournament will take place in Dakar, (Sahara Conference-March 5-15th), and Cairo, (Nile Conference-April 9-19th), before the tournament moves to Kigali (for the playoffs from May 21st-28th).
Last year, the tournament was held in Rwanda over two weeks due to COVID-19. Egypt’s victory was a huge success. Zamalek beat Tunisia’s US MonastirThe final saw the African club become the first NBA-affiliated champions.
There are indications that this year’s performance will be even better, with the tournament moving to three countries as originally planned before COVID.
We don’t know yet which Grammy-winning artist will compete in this year’s edition. J. Cole stole the showLast year, with the Patriots.
Sahara Conference – Dakar, Senegal – March 5-15th
US Monastir (Tunisia)
How did they become eligible?The 2020/21 Championnat National A. qualifies last year’s runners up automatically.
History:US Monastir was founded in 1959. They did not reach the top of Tunisian basketball until 1998 when they beat Ezzahra Sport in the league finals to win the first title. Monastir defeated Club Africain in 1999/2000 and Ezzahra to win the cup final.
Monastir was third in Africa Champions Cup 2017. This came after a third title in 2005, and a maiden appearance to the FIBA Africa Club Championship. They were defeated by ES Radès in the semi-final, but won the bronze playoff against Sport Libolo e Benfica.
If they needed revenge on local rivals ES Radès, Monastir claimed it by beating them to claim the league title not only in 2019, but again in 2020. Monastir won the title again in 2021 against Ezzahra sports.
They were widely considered favorites for the inaugural BAL title. However, they lost to Zamalek during the final.
Star manTy Lawson
Reasons to be optimistic: Former NBA player Ty Lawson joins the Monastir side and makes them a more formidable team. They are eager to avenge Zamalek’s unexpected loss in last year’s final.
Be concerned about:Monastir will need to improve their game after Zamalek signed a number of stars. Ezzahra Sport has recently beaten them at home. Lawson has been even more active in recent times. reported to have been arrestedMadrid, Spain over a fight that broke out in a restaurant. This could have implications for his BAL hopes.
Solms’s prediction:Final
DUC Dakar (Senegal)
How did they become eligible?DUC Dakar defeated AS Douanes (2021 BAL) 66-65 to take the Nationale 1 title.
History: Dakar Université Club Basketball (DUC) is the basketball team of the Cheikh Anta Diop University. They were founded in 1956 and have won five Nationale 1 titles, including the 2021 victory. They also won the Nationale 1 titles in 2009, 2010 and 2013. DUC was also runners-up for the 1991, 1993, and 2012 elections.
DUC was founded as a basketball team, but it has since expanded to include other sports, such as football and athletics.
Star man:Thierno Nang
Here are some reasons to be optimisticAfter AfroBasket 2021’s third-place finish, Senegalese basketball has a solid position. Thierno Nang, Senegalese League Finals MVP Thierno Dakar’s guard, has the ability to distinguish his team from others. DUC will also have some tournament advantage.
Be concerned about:AS Douanes from Senegal, who represented Senegal last year at the BAL, were a disappointment. They only made it through to the quarterfinals before being defeated by Monastir. They finished with a 1-3 tournament record. DUC Dakar does not have a star-studded team and has no BAL experience.
Solms’s prediction:Group stage
REG (Rwanda)
How did they become eligible?REG, having suffered three consecutive defeats to Patriots in the final, won their crown back by beating 2021 BAL semifinalists 2:0 in the 2020/21 Rwandan National Basketball League Final.
History: Rwanda Energy Group BBC (REG), is owned and named after Rwanda Energy Group Limited. In 2016, they were founded and have quickly become a dominant force in the country’s growing basketball scene. After winning the NBL 2017 in 2017, they were second to the Patriots three years later, beating them once more to secure a second national title in 2020. REG also won the Rwandan Heroes Cup 2018 and 2020.
Star man: Kami Kabange
Here are some reasons to be optimisticREG will have a significant advantage because the playoffs and finals for the BAL will take place in Rwanda. The Patriots’ countrymen used this strategy well last year, reaching the semifinals of the inaugural BAL. They will be excited about their chances, considering that REG swept them off the road to the league title.
Be concerned about:The Patriots were unable to overcome the power of Petro de Luanda, Monastir, and Petro de Luanda. It is hard to imagine how REG will do against the best teams. They are bolstering their roster with NBA veterans.
Solms’s prediction: Quarter-finals
AS Salé (Morocco)
How did they become eligible? Moroccan champions Salé were invited to the BAL to replace Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers, who were disqualified due to their federation failing to effectively organise a league.
History: The basketball section of AS Salé was founded in 1928. They are today the pride of the organization, with the football team competing in the second division. The national basketball title was not won by the basketball team until 2010. Since then they have been completely dominant.
In 2017, they beat ES Radès 77-69 in Radès to win the FIBA Africa Champions Cup, becoming the first Moroccan side to lift the title since MAS Fez in 1998. In 2018/19, Salé were runners-up, losing the final 83-71 to Primeiro de Agosto.
The 2021 BAL season saw aTerrell Stoglin-inspired Salé reach the quarter-finals while playing some thoroughly entertaining basketball, but they were knocked out by Petro de Luanda.
Star man: Terrell Stoglin
Here are some reasons to be optimisticStoglin’s return has given the Moroccan champions a boost and they will be motivated. They can consider themselves lucky to have been eliminated so quickly in the tournament last year, despite being among the most exciting teams.
Be concerned about: Having been parachuted into the tournament despite missing the Elite 16 round of the qualifiers, Salé may be lacking in preparation. FUS Rabat is threatening their dominance at home, especially. Stoglin aside. It is difficult to imagine where they could bridge the gap to other top teams in the BAL.
Solms’s prediction: Semi-finals
SLAC (Guinea)
How did they become eligible?Seydou Legacy Athletic Club was runners-up in West Division at the qualifying tournament. They beat Mali’s AS Police 81-78 in overtime in the semi-finals, but were hammered 81-34 by Forces Armées et Police (FAP) in the final.
History:Since winning the 2015 Ligue 1 title, SLAC have dominated Guinean Basketball. Since then, they have added more victories in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2021. Before the BAL came into existence, they played their first FIBA Africa Basketball League tournament in 2018/19, losing all three matches against AS Salé, JS Kairouan and Rivers Hoopers.
Star man: Dane Miller Jr.
Here are some reasons to be optimisticSLAC showed that they can play at the highest level in the tournament by beating 2021 BAL participant AS Police to qualify.
Be concerned about:SLAC is still far from being able to compete with BAL’s top players, as evident by the 47-point West Division loss to FAP. They are not as experienced in major basketball competitions than some of their rivals.
Solms’s prediction:Group stage
Ferroviário da Beira (Mozambique)
How did they become eligible? In their first appearance in the BAL qualifiers, Ferroviário da Beira won the East Division. They emulated fellow Mozambican team Ferroviário de Maputo the previous year by ensuring that Mozambique will have a representative at Africa’s biggest club basketball showpiece.
History: Ferroviário da Beira’s history dates back to 1924, but the basketball section of the club has enjoyed its golden years over the last decade. They won the Mozambique Division 1 championship in 2012, 2013 & 2014, before adding another title in 2021. This earned them the right to compete in the BAL qualifiers.
Star manWill Perry
Here are some reasons to be optimisticBeira was a great qualifier and should be remembered as one of the dark horses. Ferroviário de Maputo came very close to reaching the semi-finals last time and so Mozambican basketball teams know they can mix it with Africa’s big guns when required.
Be concerned about: Two titanic qualifying matches with the Cape Town Tigers were a highlight of Beira’s vulnerability. One match ended in defeat while the other resulted in victory. Beira is missing bona fide stars that can compete with the best teams, despite having some highly skilled players.
Solms’s prediction: Quarter-finals
Nile Conference – Cairo (Egypt) – April 9-19th
Zamalek (Egypt)
How did they become eligible?In a tightly contested final, the defending champions of BAL won 3-2 over Al Ittihad to become the new Egyptian Basketball Super League.
History: In 1969/70, Zamalek won Egypt’s Republic Championship. This was the precursor of the Egyptian Super League.
They were a dominant force during the Super League era. They followed up their 1973/1974 championship with wins in 1974/75/76 and 1977/77, 1978/1978, 1979/80 and 1980/81.
Al Ittihad enjoyed a period of dominance and won the title six times in succession. Zamalek ended that streak in 1987/88. Zamalek lost the title to Cairo rivals Al Ahly in the next season, and Al Ittihad once again. However, he reclaimed the first prize in 1990/91.
After placing second in 1975, 1976, and third in 1972, 1983 Zamalek achieved continental supremacy in 1992 when he won the FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup. They wouldn’t win another national title until 1996/97 but they retained it in 1997/98. In 1998, they finished second in Africa Clubs Champions Cup.
Zamalek began the new millennium by dominating the Egyptian Cup. He won the tournament in 1999/2000 and 2000/01, 2001/02 as well as 2002/03, 2002/03, 2005/06, and 2003/06. Despite Super League victories in 2002/03 & 2006/07, they were unable to keep pace with Gezira Al Ittihad Sporting Alexandria, Al Ahly, and Sporting Alexandria.
Zamalek returned to the top of Egyptian basketball in 2018/19. They lost their title to Al Ittihad in the next season but they quickly won it back. In addition, they won the inaugural BAL by defeating Monastir, 76-63, in the final.
Star man: Anas Osama Mahmoud
Here are some reasons to be optimisticThe champions of Africa, who had just won the BAL title, became champions in Egypt. They have made several signings, the most notable being Ike DioguTony Wroten and DJ Strawberry
Anas Mahmoud, the star man of the show, is back after a stint with The Toronto RaptorsZamalek and the NBA Summer League are the top-ranked team. They will also have the added benefit of playing basketball on their own turf, something they did not get last year.
Concerns: Zamalek will be champions and have a target. US Monastir are keeping up with them when it comes to improving their squad. All will be keen to win against Will Voigt.
Solms’s predictionChampions
Petro de Luanda (Angola)
How did they become eligible?Petro de Luanda, a semi-finalist at the inaugural BAL tournament was defeated 3-0 by Interclube in the final of 2020/21 Angolan Basketball League.
History:Petro de Luanda’s basketball club was established in 1976. It is just one of many sporting teams in the diverse institution that also includes handball and football. They are second to Primeiro de Agosto for overall Angolan Basketball League titles.
Petro de Luanda was awarded their first national title back in 1989. They then dominated Angolan Basketball in the early 1990s. In 1990, 1992, 1993 and 1994, they won the league. 1995 was also their first national title. In 1998 and 1999, they won more.
After a seven year drought, Petro de Luanda won again the league in 2006. This was also the same year they were crowned African champions. Petro de Luanda’s first FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup title was earned by a 76-7 win over Primeiro de Agosto.
Petro de Luanda won another league title in 2007. The next was in 2011. They repeated the 2006 Angolan/African double in 2015 After beating Primeiro de Agosto, they defeated Rec do Libolo 89-7 in the semifinals of the FIBA Africa Club Champions Cup final.
Petro de Luanda was awarded the 2019 league title and has been dominating nationally since. They were the leaders of the table in 2020 after the league was canceled due to COVID-19, and they won their 14th championship in 2021.
Last year, they came third in the BAL. They were defeated by Zamalek in semi-finals, but won bronze when they beat the Patriots.
Star man: Carlos Morais
Here are some reasons to be optimisticCarlos Morais, Angola’s shooting guard, was on top form at AfroBasket 2021. This suggests that he still has a significant role at the BAL at 36. Petro have been the dominant team in the Angolan Basketball League over the past few years, and they were well deserving of the bronze medal at the 2021 BAL. They will likely be back in contention for the throne.
Be concerned about:Last year’s BAL semifinals saw Petro lose to Zamalek. The Egyptians have strengthened their position since then. It is hard to imagine Petro able to keep up with them and US Monastir who were runners-up last season. They will need to increase their number if the Angolan champions want to win.
Solms’s prediction: Semi-finals
Cape Town Tigers, South Africa
How did they become eligible?As the South African champions proved, it was controversial. awarded a 20-0 walkoverDue to a COVID-19 epidemic among Burundi’s team, New Star was defeated in the East Division third place playoff.
Histories: The Cape Town Tigers were founded in 2019 by an American group. However, their plans were thwarted by COVID-19. But they rebuilt and won the national championship last season. The Tigers used their home advantage in the Elite 16 round to become South Africa’s first ever team to qualify for BAL.
Star manMyck Kabongo
Here are some reasons to be optimisticThey are a well-resourced squad with support from an American ownership group. The Tigers have a healthy mix of exuberance as well as experience. They proved convincing throughout the qualifier tournament, even though they were not at the Elite 16 level. Al Harrington is the Tigers’ new assistant coach. He has 16 years NBA playing experience.
Concerns: The Tigers, as an institution, are not experienced and have yet to be tested on this grand stage. Their handling with Ben Uzoh, Nigerian international point guard, was concerning to say the very least. Although the Tigers signed him, he was an influential player last year. However, Myck Kabongo, who had played for Maputo at 2021 edition, had to replace him for the Elite 16 round. VISA having been allowed to expire. The Tigers were able to make it to the tournament with him, but they will need to improve if the BAL is to be successful.
Solms’s prediction: Quarter-finals
Cobra Sport (South Sudan)
How did they become eligible?Cobra Sport placed second in the East Division BAL qualifiers. They won with a semi-final win of 78-76 over New Star Burundi.
After losing both their qualifying matches in round one, they were awarded a wildcard by FIBA to participate in round two. They made good use of the opportunity and had a stronger roster. The team from South Sudan lost the division final 91-65 to Ferroviário da Beira.
HistoriesCobra Sports Club was formed in 2017 and has been granted the right to qualify for the inaugural BAL season. They were unable to qualify, but they gained strength by hiring John Jevish Omondi as their head coach. The signings of Kenyan international Tom Wamukota and Rwandan international Dieudonné Ndizeye strengthened them further and they became the first team from South Sudan to advance to the BAL proper.
Star man: Dieudonné Ndizeye
There are reasons to be optimisticUnder the direction of Omondi, Cobra Sports is going from strength-to-strength and beat a strong New Star team in qualifying for the BAL. They are going to improve their qualifying performances and they will only get better.
ConcernsCobra Sports lost to Beira in the East Division final, which suggests that they still have a lot of work to do before they are ready to compete at the BAL. They will also be hurt by their lack of experience on the grand stage. After a slow start to qualifying, they were fortunate enough to be able to pass.
Solms’s prediction:Group stage
FAP (Cameroon).
How did they become eligible?FAP won in style the West Division of this qualifying tournament, securing their BAL spot again for the second consecutive year.
History:FAP, which was founded in 1972 won the Central Region Championships in 2011, 2016, and 2018. After finishing second to Condor BC in the previous season, FAP did not win their first Cameroonian Basketball League championship until 2019/20. They repeated their feat in 2020/21 by winning another national title, qualifying once more for the BAL.
Star man: Joel Almeida
There are reasons to be optimisticFAP reached the quarter-finals in the inaugural BAL tournament. They have since added Joel Almeida, a veteran Cape Verdean shooting forward and small forward, to their roster. He was an important player for them in qualifying to win the West Division title.
ConcernsFAP remain far behind the best teams in Africa, despite their loss to Zamalek by 82 to 53 in the quarter-finals last year. A year later, FAP are still not close enough to bridge the gap in terms roster quality.
Solms’s prediction: Quarter-finals
Espoir Fukash (DR Congo)
How did they become eligible?Espoir Fukash defeated AS Police in overtime to claim third place at the West Division of qualifying tournament. The win qualifies Espoir Fukash for the BAL, despite losing to FAP by 70-56 in semi-final.
Histories: Espoir Fukash, a newly founded organization, reached their first regional final in 2020 when they were defeated by BC Terreur. They went on to win the title the next season and also won the Congolese Cup in Oct 2021, their first national championship. They were then eligible to participate in the BAL qualifiers, and they seized it with both their hands.
Star man: Rolly Fula
Here are some reasons to be optimisticEspoir Fukash is a new team that was inspired by Rolly Fula. He was one of the top players at the BAL qualification tournament. Like the Cape Town Tigers and other new teams they might have the surprise factor.
Be concerned about:Espoir Fukash lost twice to FAP in qualifying. Only their West Division third-place playoff against AS Police was enough for them to qualify for the BAL. They are not the most likely team to make it far.
Solms’s prediction: Group stage