Debutants Kwara Falcons to challenge 11 others for BAL honours

The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Final 8 champions, Kwara Falcons, will make their Basketball Africa League (BAL) debut alongside five other teams. Last year, the Ilorin-based club won their first national title with a 78-53 victory over Nigeria Customs, securing a ticket to represent Nigeria on the continent. They were named one of the best […]

The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Final 8 champions, Kwara Falcons, will make their Basketball Africa League (BAL) debut alongside five other teams.

Last year, the Ilorin-based club won their first national title with a 78-53 victory over Nigeria Customs, securing a ticket to represent Nigeria on the continent.

They were named one of the best 12 club teams from 12 African countries to compete in the 2023 BAL season, which begins on Saturday, March 11 at the Dakar Arena in Dakar, Senegal.

The league will again feature a total of 38 games in Dakar; Cairo, Egypt and Kigali, Rwanda over three months in 2023.

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The 12 teams include defending BAL champion US Monastir (Tunisia) and five other teams returning from the 2022 season. 

Five teams will compete in the BAL for the first time, including the first BAL teams from Côte d’Ivoire and Uganda: Abidjan Basket Club (Côte d’Ivoire), Al Ahly (Egypt), City Oilers (Uganda), Kwara Falcons (Nigeria) and Stade Malien (Mali). AS Douanes (Senegal) returns to the BAL after participating in the inaugural season in 2021. 

The 12 teams will once again be divided into two conferences – the Sahara Conference and the Nile Conference.  Each conference will play a 15-game group phase during which each team will face the other five teams in its conference once.