The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Image via FIBA

Kicking off on Saturday, March 9, at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa, the first Basketball Africa League (BAL) match of the year will take place in a tournament playing across four different countries, including Egypt, for the first time. Keeping all the basketball enthusiasts on their toes, BAL has finally announced all the details for the upcoming season – from host cities to venues and dates. The 2024 BAL season will feature the top 12 club teams from 12 African countries playing a record 48 games in Pretoria, South Africa; Cairo, Egypt; Dakar, Senegal; and Kigali, Rwanda. Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming tournament!

In the 2024 BAL season, a strategic division of the 12 participating teams will unfold, creating three conferences, each comprising four teams. This innovative format intensifies the competition, with each conference embarking on a gruelling 12-game group phase. Every team will face the other three twice during its conference throughout this phase, fostering a challenging and dynamic environment.

Image via ESPN

The Kalahari Conference group phase is set to kick off the thrilling journey from Saturday, March 9, to Sunday, March 17, at Pretoria’s prestigious SunBet Arena. Next, BAL will be coming to the land of the Pharaohs as the Nile Conference group phase captivates basketball enthusiasts from Friday, April 19, to Saturday, April 27, hosted at the Hassan Mostafa Indoor Sports Complex in Cairo. Finally, the Sahara Conference group phase will unfold from Saturday, May 4, to Sunday, May 12, echoing the cheers of fans at the Dakar Arena in Senegal’s capital city.

Following these exhilarating group phases, the top two teams from each conference and the top two third-place teams across all three meetings will converge in Kigali. There, they will engage in four seeding games, paving the way for an electrifying eight-game, single-elimination Playoffs and Finals spectacle from Friday, May 24, to Saturday, June 1. The 2024 BAL season promises a riveting blend of strategy, skill, and determination, establishing itself as a landmark event in African basketball history.

Image via BAL

It’s important to note that The BAL hosted the first Combine in Africa in Morocco from January 4 to January 7, marking the league’s first Combine in Africa after previous editions in New York City and Paris. The three-day scouting event featured 30 aspiring players from Africa, Europe, the U.S., and the world participating in anthropometric and athletic testing, positional skill development, and 5-on-5 games in front of team executives, coaches, and scouts. Former NBA player Robert Pack served as the camp’s director, passing his experience to the emerging talents.

For more information and tickets, visit BAL’s official website.