TRIPOLI (Libya) - On Friday, the four West Division tickets for the 2027 Road to BAL Elite 16 were decided in Tripoli, Libya, on the last day of the Groups A and B games.
After three consecutive days of games, two teams remained undefeated, two others recovered from their opening day losses, and the bottom two teams in each group fell short of their primary goal.
Now that the Tripoli event has concluded, the next stop is Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire, where eight teams will compete to secure a top-two finish in the West Division Elite 16. This will earn them an automatic place in the 2027 Basketball Africa League (BAL) season.
Here's a look at how the Elite 16 participants were decided in Tripoli on the last day of competition.
Nabaya to carry Guinea's flag in Abidjan
Following their 96-90 loss at the start of their Group B campaign on Wednesday, 21 October, Guinea's Nabaya went on to defeat Benin's Energie BC 80-57 the following day, before shrugging off Liberia's NPA Pythons 78-68 on the final day of Group B.
Nabaya's second consecutive victory in the group took them to 2-1, securing them second place in the four-team group.
The Road to BAL debutants will represent Guinea in the Elite 16 showdown in Abidjan next month.
Meanwhile, NPA Pythons finished fourth in the group with a 0–3 record.
The Knights swept through Group B with a perfect record
On Friday, Benin's Energie BC stood as the final obstacle for Ghana's Spintex Knights.
A loss would have forced the Knights to calculate their chances, but they took the floor with a solid game plan that secured them first place in Group B.
The Spintex Knights defeated Energie BC 92-71, finishing their Group B campaign with a perfect 3-0 record.
Al Ittihad protect home court with complete dominance
Al Ittihad, the Libyan side, emerged as front-runners in Group A on day one, and they lived up to expectations.
In their final home game before the West Division Elite 16 in Abidjan, Al Ittihad faced a Stade Malien team for whom it was a win-or-go scenario.
Al Ittihad ultimately secured their third consecutive victory in the group, defeating Stade Malien 74-67 — their narrowest margin of victory in the group.
Kriol Star return home empty-handed
Things didn't go well for Cape Verde's Kriol Stars in Tripoli.
After forfeiting their opening game, they were forced to win their remaining games to qualify for the Elite 16 round.
In their final Group A match against Algeria's Nadi Basket, Kriol Star put up a strong fight in the first half, but a series of unforced errors paved the way for their 84-69 defeat.
Meanwhile, Nadi Basket finished the group stage with a 2–1 record, while Kriol Star finished with three losses.
FIBA