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2024 BAL qualification


2024 BAL qualification(Road to BAL 2024)
FIBA Africa
Road to BAL
Basketball
3 October – 26 November 2023
29 registered22 participated
Bangui Sporting Club
John Jordan (FUS Rabat)
Cape Town Tigers
Dhieu Deing (Pazi)

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.

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.

Entry stageAssociationTeamQualification methodHead coach
GuineaSLACWinner of FGBB-organised qualification tournamentPaolo Povia
Ivory CoastABC Fighters2023 Ivorian Basketball Championship championsMilutin Nikolić
MaliStade Malien (withdrew)2022–23 Ligue 1 champions
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
Entry stageAssociationTeamQualification methodHead coach
MozambiqueFerroviário da Beira2023 Liga Moçambicana de Basquetebol championsLuis Hernandez Lopez
South AfricaCape Town Tigers2023 BNL season championsFlorsheim Ngwenya
UgandaCity Oilers2022 NBL Uganda season championsMandy Juruni
NoneNBA Academy AfricaWild cardAlfred Aboya
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

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.

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.

PosTeamPldWLPFPAPDPtsQualification
10000000Advance to Elite 16
20000000
30000000Withdrew
40000000

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.

PosTeamPldWLPFPAPDPtsQualification
1321239199+405Advance to Elite 16
2321256205+515
3312179223−444
4312205252−474
50000000Disqualified

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.

PosTeamPldWLPFPAPDPtsQualification
1330218194+246Advance to Elite 16
2321225193+325
3312198192+64
4303172234−623

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.

PosTeamPldWLPFPAPDPtsQualification
1321222173+495Advance to Elite 16
2321204171+335
3321195202−75
4303152227−753

The games of Group E are expected to be played from 3 to 7 October in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

PosTeamPldWLPFPAPDPtsQualification
1220163109+544Advance to Elite 16
2211139136+33
3202112169−572
40000000Withdrew

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.

PosTeamPldWLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1220170150+204Advance to semi-finals
2211161149+123
3202136168−322
PosTeamPldWLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1321240238+25Advance to semi-finals
2321260239+215
3312244237+74
4312222252−304

All indicated times are in GMT+2.

PosTeamPldWLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1330240209+316Advance to semi-finals
2321221197+245
3312220237−174Advance to semi-finals
4303229267−383
PosTeamPldWLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1330265233+326Advance to semi-finals
2321242211+315
3312218243−254
4303199237−383

Hasheem Thabeet averaged the most blocks per game

Note: Per the FIBA website, some boxscores of games are missing and have not been included in the averages.

CategoryPlayerTeam(s)StatisticPlayed
Efficiency per gameAliou DiarraFUS Rabat20.04
Points per gameDhieu DeingPazi22.25
Rebounds per gameIsrael OtoboDynamo13.18
Assists per gameSolo DiabateAl Ahly Benghazi6.84
Steals per gamePerry PettyCity Oilers4.04
Blocks per gameHasheem ThabeetPazi2.84
Turnovers per gameNoah PendukaJBC4.54
Minutes per gameDhieu DeingPazi39.35
FG%Aliou DiarraFUS Rabat71.9%4
3P%Jalone FridayFAP62.5%4
FT%Dhieu DeingPazi88.9%5
Double-doublesIsrael OtoboDynamo48

Chris Crawford scored 39 points on 5 November in the third place game, the most of any player in the tournament

CategoryPlayerTeamStatistic
EfficiencyAliou DiarraFUS Rabat37
PointsChris CrawfordAl Ahly Benghazi39
ReboundsAliou DiarraFUS Rabat21
AssistsSolo DiabateAl Ahly Benghazi12
StealsSolo DiabateAl Ahly Benghazi6
Perry Petty (2x)City Oilers
BlocksFrank BetoudjiVirunga9
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