ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - Although the 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL) season, run by FIBA and the NBA, won't start until early next year, a number of teams from across Africa are now set to compete for a place in the elite competition.
Over the next five weeks, basketball clubs from across Africa will compete in the qualifier tournament, dubbed the 'Road to BAL'.
Read on for the key facts about the 2026 Road to BAL tournament.
COMPETITION SYSTEM
The Group Phase of the 2026 Road to BAL is divided into Division East and Division West, with teams split into Groups A, B, C, D and E. Each group consists of three or six teams.
WHEN IS THE 2026 ROAD TO BAL TAKING PLACE?
Action in all five groups is scheduled to run from 17 to 29 October. This will be followed by the Road to BAL Elite 16 round, scheduled for 4–23 November.
HOST CITIES
Five African cities have been selected as host cities of the Group Phase of the 2026 Road to BAL tournament. These cities are: Bamako (Mali), Kinshasa (DR Congo), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Lusaka (Zambia) and Abidjan (Cote d'Ivoire).
HOW TO WATCH THE 2026 ROAD TO BAL
All games will be streamed live on the FIBA YouTube channel. CLICK HERE TO WATCH.
MEET THE TEAMS AND GROUPS
Division West - GROUP A, Bamako, Mali (October 17-19)
TEAM | COUNTRY |
MALI | |
LIBYA | |
BURKINA FASO | |
GUINEA |
Division West - GROUP B, Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire (October 17-19)
TEAM | COUNTRY |
COTE D'IVOIRE | |
BENIN | |
GHAHA | |
LIBERIA |
Division West - GROUP C, Kinshasa, DR Congo (October 19-21)
TEAM | COUNTRY |
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO | |
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC | |
GABON | |
* Team to be determined |
|
Division East - GROUP D, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (October 17-19)
TEAM | COUNTRY |
TANZANIA | |
UGANDA | |
COMOROS |
Division East - GROUP E, Lusaka, Zambia, (October 22-26)
TEAM | COUNTRY |
ZAMBIA | |
MALAWI | |
MOZAMBIQUE | |
ZIMBABWE | |
SOUTH AFRICA | |
BOTSWANA |
ALL ABOUT THE 2026 ROAD TO BAL - ELITE 16
As its name suggests, the Elite 16 round consists of 16 teams. In addition to the two host teams, who earn automatic qualification for this round, the other teams include those that finish first and second in Groups A, B, C, D and E, the three best third-placed teams from the Group Phase and three wildcards.
At the time of writing, the two Elite 16 host teams have yet to be officially confirmed.
WHAT'S AT AT STAKE
The finalist teams from the Elite 16 West and East Divisions will secure the four automatic places in the 2026 BAL season. They will be joined by representative teams from Angola, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia.
FIBA