The Basketball Africa League, better known as the BAL, is Africa’s premier men’s club basketball competition. A partnership between NBA Africa and FIBA, basketball’s international governing body, it brings clubs from across the continent together to compete for the continental title.
For players, it offers the chance to compete professionally in Africa and showcase their talent to an international audience. For clubs, it creates opportunities to build a following, attract partners and strengthen the organization behind the team.
The league is also exploring permanent franchises, with the aim of encouraging longer-term investment in teams, facilities and player development.
For Ghana, reaching this stage would give our basketball a bigger audience. It would put a Ghanaian club alongside the continent’s strongest teams and give young players at home a visible example of where their talent could take them.
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Winning at home is the beginning
Domestic success opens the door to continental competition, but Ghana does not have an automatic place in the BAL. Our route runs through the Road to BAL, the qualifying competition organized by FIBA Africa. We have represented Ghana in successive campaigns after winning the Accra Basketball League.
There are two main stages to navigate: the initial group phase and the Elite 16.
For our upcoming campaign, those qualifiers take place in 2026, with qualification for the 2027 BAL season at stake.
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The first hurdle: Tripoli
Our journey begins in Tripoli, Libya, from 21–25 October 2026.
We have been drawn in West Division Group B alongside Energie Basketball Club of Benin, AS Douanes of Burkina Faso, NPA Pythons of Liberia and Red Flames of Sierra Leone.
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The decisive stage: the Elite 16
The Elite 16 is the final qualifying stage, split between the West and East Divisions. Its field includes teams advancing from the opening groups, alongside clubs granted direct entry or wildcard places.
The West Division tournament is scheduled for 10–15 November in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The top two finishers in the division secure BAL qualification.
In our previous two campaigns, the West Division format required teams to finish in the top two of their Elite 16 group and then win a semifinal. That semifinal victory secured qualification. Both finalists already had their BAL places before playing for the division title.
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We know how close it can get
In 2024, on our first Road to BAL attempt, we became the first Ghanaian club to reach the Elite 16.
In 2025, we returned and went further, reaching the West Division semifinals in Praia, Cape Verde. A 93–82 defeat to Jeunesse Club d’Abidjan ended our campaign. JCA Kings secured the BAL place we had been fighting for.
This year, we return to the Road To BAL stage with lessons from previous campaigns but getting the job done requires support. We are counting on our community to help make the journey possible.
Stand with us as we pursue Ghana’s first BAL appearance.
Visit ascent.spintexknights.com to learn more and support the journey.