BAL Playoffs get underway in Kigali

The 2022 Basketball Africa League (BAL) Playoffs and Final will take place at Kigali Arena in Rwanda from Saturday 21 May 21 to Saturday 28 May. 

The top eight teams from the league’s Sahara and Nile Conferences will compete in a single-elimination Playoffs and Final with the winner crowned the second BAL champion.

The eight playoff teams are REG (4-1), US Monastir (4-1), AS Salé (3-2) and S.L.A.C (2-3) from the Sahara Conference, and Zamalek (5-0), Petró de Luanda (4-1), Cape Town Tigers (2-3) and F.A.P (2-3) from the Nile Conference.

Action tips off on 21 May when Angola’s Petro de Luanda takes on Morocco’s AS Salé , followed by hosts Rwanda’s REG against Cameroon’s F.A.P. 

The quarterfinals will continue on 22 May with Tunisia’s US Monastir facing South Africa’s Cape Town Tigers followed by defending BAL champion Zamalek of Egypt against Guinea’s S.L.A.C. 

Winners of the quarterfinal matchups will meet in the semifinals on 25 May for the chance to advance to the 2022 BAL Final, which will be held on 28 May. 

BAL in a minute

AS Salé head coach Liz Mills, who moved to the side after cutting ties with the national men’s team Kenya Morans, became the first woman to coach a BAL team during the Sahara Conference group phase, which was held in Dakar, Senegal from 5-15 March. Mills led AS Salé to a 3-2 record and a spot in the BAL Playoffs.

After taking place at a single site last season due to the pandemic, the 2022 BAL season expanded to three iconic African cities; Dakar, Senegal, Cairo, Egypt and Kigali, Rwanda.

The 2022 BAL season features three former NBA players: Jamel Artis (Cape Town Tigers; last played for the Orlando Magic), Ike Diogu (Zamalek; last played for the San Antonio Spurs) and D.J. Strawberry (Zamalek; last played for the Phoenix Suns).

Four countries were represented in the BAL for the first time: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (BC Espoir Fukash), Guinea (S.L.A.C), South Africa (Cape Town Tigers) and South Sudan (Cobra Sport). S.L.A.C (Sahara Conference) and the Cape Town Tigers (Nile Conference) both qualified for the 2022 BAL Playoffs after finishing in the top four in their respective conference.

Four African players were among the top performers of the 2022 BAL group phase: Mayan Kiir for Cobra Sport, South Sudan, averaging 18.8 points, 2.2 assists, 11.4 rebounds and 1 steal per game. 

Amadou Harouna of AS Salè, averaging 19.8 points, 3.6 assists, 4 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. Rolly Fula Nganga of BC Espoir Fukash; the Democratic Republic of the Congo; averaging 18.4 points, 2.4 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game and Evans Ganapamo with Cape Town Tigers, averaging 17.4 points, 2.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game.

Five teams returned in 2022 for their second BAL season. They include defending BAL champion Zamalek, 2021 runner-up US Monastir, semifinalist Petro de Luanda and quarterfinalists AS Salé and F.A.P. All five teams qualified for the 2022 BAL Playoffs.

Seven teams participated in the BAL for the first time this season: BC Espoir Fukash, Cape Town Tigers, Cobra Sport, CFV – Beira (Mozambique), DUC (Senegal), REG (Rwanda) and S.L.A.C.