PRAIA (Cape Verde) - With eight teams competing for two spots in the 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL) season, Praia is the place for followers, fans and others interested in the BAL to turn their attention to.
Since the start of the 2026 Road to BAL campaign in October, teams have played a combined total of 33 group phase games in Bamako (Mali), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire), Kinshasa (DR Congo) and Lusaka (Zambia), with some performing better than others.
Praia is now set to welcome the 2026 Road to BAL West Division Elite 16, before the competition moves on to the East Division Elite 16 in Nairobi, Kenya, next week.
Which teams are competing in Praia?
The Cape Verdean team Kriol Star are hosting the tournament.
Other teams competing for a place in the 2026 BAL season include Al Ahly Benghazi (Libya), ASB New Generation (DR Congo), CRBT (Mali), Jeuness Club d'Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire), Moanda BB (Gabon), New Tech Université (Central African Republic) and Spintex Knights (Ghana).
When and where is the West Division Elite 16 taking place?
The Road to BAL West Division Elite 16 will take place from Tuesday, 11 November to Sunday, 16 November at the iconic Vava Duarte Gymnasium.
Will the West Division Elite 16 games be live-streamed?
Yes, all games will be available to watch on FIBA's YouTube channel. Additional coverage will also be available on FIBA Africa's social media platforms.
Click HERE, and follow all the action on the socials HERE.
Praia
This is the first time since 2019 that Praia has hosted a FIBA tournament.
The last time it hosted one was in 2019, when it was the host city for the FIBA U16 AfroBasket.
Who are the favourites?
At first glance, Libyan champions Al Ahly Benghazi seem to be the front-runners to secure one of the two places on offer for the 2026 BAL season.
Other real contenders include hosts Kriol Star and Jeuness Club d'Abidjan.
Players to watch
There is a long list of talented players ready to light up Praia when the tournament begins.
These include Mohamed Sadi, Sofian Hamad, Jonathan Jordan and Marcos Knight, who are all from Benghazi; Cameroon's Etienne Tametong (ASB New Generation); Souleyman Berthe; Samba Fall (Centre de Référence de Basketball de Tombouctou); Mahamane Coulibaly; Chris Echui (Jeuness Club d'Abidjan); Dane Miller Jr. (Kriol Star); Cédric Kenfack (Moanda BB); Yasser Kamayengue (New Tech Université Club); James Amotoe; and Koch Bar (Spintex Knights).
How did they qualify for the West Division Elite 16?
As the hosts, Kriol Star automatically qualified for the Elite 16 round, while the remaining seven teams had to go through the Group Phase campaign.
Teams | Win-Loss Record | Host City | Preliminary Round |
|---|---|---|---|
Al Ahly Benghazi | 3-0 | Bamako (Mali) | Group A |
Jeuness Club d'Abidjan | 3-0 | Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire) | Group B |
Moanda BB | 2-0 | Kinshasa (DR Congo) | Group C |
Centre de Référence de Basketball de Tombouctou | 2-1 | Bamako (Mali) | Group A |
Spintex Knights | 2-1 | Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire) | Group B |
ASB New Generation | 1-1 | Kinshasa (DR Congo) | Group C |
New Tech Université Club | 0-2 | Kinshasa (DR Congo) | Group C |
West Division Elite 16 Groups
The eight teams competing in Praia have been split into two groups of four.
The top two teams in each group will advance to the semi-finals, with the winners qualifying for the 2026 BAL season.
Group A: Kriol Star, Centre de Référence de Basketball de Tombouctou, Jeuness Club d'Abidjan and ASB New Generation.
Group B: Al Ahly Benghazi, Moanda BB, New Tech Université Club and Spintex Knights.
CLICK HERE for the full schedule.
BAL Experience
Al Ahly Benghazi, Libya's champions, and Kriol Star are the only teams to have featured in the 2026 West Division Elite 16.
Benghazi finished second after losing 107–94 to Petro de Luanda of Angola in 2024, while Kriol Star made it to the 2025 BAL Playoffs.
Several players have also played in the BAL at an individual level, including Mohamed Sadi, who helped Al Ahly Tripoli win the 2025 BAL title. He is the only BAL champion in the 2026 West Division Elite 16.
FIBA