The Nile Conference has lowered its curtains last Saturday with the success of Cape Town Tigers and Al Ahly before City Oilers and Seydou Legacy Athletic Club on the same score (80-70). Thus, we now know the posters of the quarterfinals of the season 3 of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). They are Stade Malien-Cape Town, AS Douanes-Ferroviario Beira, Petro Luanda-ABC Fighters and Al Ahly-Rwanda Energy Group. The final 8 will be held from May 20 to 27, in Kigali.
The group phase of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) has 30 games. That is 15 per Conference. Stade Malien (1st), AS Douanes (2nd), Rwanda Energy Group (3rd). Or Abidjan Basket Club Fighters (4th) are the receipts of the Sahara Conference. The Nile Conference has also delivered its top 4. These are Petro Luanda (1st), Al Ahly (2nd), Ferroviario Beira (3rd) and Cape Town Tigers (3rd).
These 8 teams do not have the same history in the BAL. Petro Luanda has reached the quarterfinals since 2021 (start of the League). Rwanda Energy Group, Cape Town Tigers and AS Douanes are playing their 2nd quarterfinal. On the other hand, Stade Malien, Al Ahly, Ferroviario and ABC Fighters discover the finals of the BAL.
Author of a full card in the Nile Conference, Petro Luanda is the big favorite of this BAL. Third in 2021 and finalist in 2022, the Angolan club aims to win the title this season. It will indeed cross in quarterfinals Abidjan Basket Club Fighters. This club honors its 1st participation. It will be a duel between Ivorian internationals, including Souleymane Diabaté (Petro) and Stephane Konaté (ABC). Solo Diabaté is the only player to win the BAL twice with Zamalek (2021) and US Monastir (20220.
Leader of the Sahara Conference, Stade Malien will meet Cape Town Tigers. The Malians are playing their 1st BAL. While the South Africans are in their 2nd participation.
Quarter finalist in 2021, AS Douanes (Senegal) will want to cross this stage. Especially after having taken out the title holder, the US Monastir. The Gabelous have strengthened with the arrival of Babacar Sané (Ignite in G-League) and Adama Diakité (former pivot of the Duke). On the other hand, Ferroviario will be able to count on William Kiah Perry in this BAL. The 2nd player to score 41 pts in a BAL game.
Quarter finalist of the BAL in 2022, Rwanda Energy Group will face Al Ahly. The Rwandans could count on the support of their public. But, it will take much more than that to beat the Cairoites who finished 2nd in the Nile Conference.
