From stars on the court to Casper Nyovest vibes: Basketball Africa League frenzy set to hit Pretoria
The Basketball Africa League is celebrating its fifth season.
The event in Pretoria next weekend will be the first time that the finals are contested outside Rwanda.
SA's Samkelo Cele will turn out for defending champions Petro de Luanda of Angola.
South Africans should not despair at not having a representative in this season's Basketball Africa League (BAL) play-offs.
In an interview with City Press this week, BAL president Amadou Gallo Fall advised the local basketball community to self-introspect instead.
The BAL, the equivalent of football's Champions League, will see eight clubs, four from North Africa, contesting for a place in the final in Pretoria from 6 to 14 June.
SA was represented by Made By Ball, simply known as MBB, but the Johannesburg-based outfit did not advance beyond the group phase.
MBB entered the tournament as a wild card after SA multi-champions Cape Town Tigers were prevented by internal problems from participating in this year's tournament.
The Tigers were the first local team to reach the BAL semi-finals.
The line-up
The teams that have qualified for the event at the Sunbet Arena are:
Petro de Luanda (Angola)
Rivers Hoopers (Nigeria)
APR (Rwanda)
Al Ahli Tripoli (Libya)
Al Ittihad Alexandria (Egypt)
US Monastir (Tunisia)
Kriol Star (Cape Verde)
FUS Rabat (Morocco)
Fall was full of praise for MBB, who, on their debut in the BAL, won two of their six matches.
They finished third in the Nile Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, where Libyan side Al Ahli and ARP of Rwanda progressed as the top two sides last weekend.
I think, anytime you host a competition, yes, you want to have a home team represented, but, at the end of the day, it's a competition and they narrowly missed out.
BAL president Amadou Fall
He added: 'MBB fought hard. They have a lot to be proud of. I've seen them in all the months since they qualified transform themselves into a professional outfit. I think that they have something to build on.
I encourage the basketball community in SA to do some serious introspection because the game is very popular in the country.
Amadou Fall
'I see a lot of young people getting into it. Now, with an opportunity to play in this league, I think there's a level of organisation. The [organisation] needs to take place beyond just these teams, but at federation level, at the ministry, just to realise that there is an opportunity for the country to do some big things with this league and with this game in general.
'I'm pretty sure the fans are still going to be coming to Sunbet Arena because the competition is going to be incredible.'
Mzansi will still be represented on the court
For those heading to Pretoria, they can look out for Samkelo Cele, who is turning out for defending champions Petro de Luanda of Angola. The 27-year-old is a former Cape Town Tigers star player.
He joined Petro before the start of the BAL tournament after stints with the NBA Summer League side New York Knicks. Cele also had spells in Burundi and Spain's basketball leagues.
Said Fall: 'Samkelo Cele is a player who showcased his talent playing for the Cape Town Tigers last year.
I am pretty sure [Cele's] joining Petro de Luanda will also give SA reasons to follow and then come and cheer him because he's going to carry the flag of the country in basketball for years to come.
Amadou Fall
Added the BAL boss: 'One of the things we are proud of is how this league's showcase is also the best that Africa has to offer.'
'Sold-out games; this is the momentum we're looking forward to'
Fall reflected with pride on how the fifth season of BAL had panned out.
The 62-year-old administrator, who hails from Senegal and is a former basketball player, was impressed by the attendance across the three qualifying events in Rabat, Morocco (Kalahari Conference in April), Dakar, Senegal (Sahara Conference last month) and Kigali, Rwanda (Nile Conference last weekend).
The final day of the Nile Conference had it all: buzzer-beaters, heartbreaks, and wild playoff drama.
Catch the last episode of the BAL Daily Show now! 🔥 #BAL5 pic.twitter.com/exkiKgIi2I
— Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) May 29, 2025
'We had sold-out games and we've had very passionate fans coming in big numbers. This is the momentum that we are looking forward to seeing in Pretoria when we tip off the finals next weekend.'
Fall pointed out that SA has always been a great host of major events, including sports tournaments.
As it is the tradition of basketball to have half-time shows, the finals in Pretoria will feature top local artists, leading with rapper Casper Nyovest (whose given name is Refilo Phoolo) on the opening day on 6 June and closing with Maglera Doe Boy (Tokelo Moyakhe) and Focalistic (Lethabo Sebetso), also renowned rappers, on 14 June.
South Africa, are you ready?! 🇿🇦
Cassper Nyovest is ready to shut it down once again at the BAL halftime show on June 6 at SunBet Arena! 🔥
This one's gonna be legendary, secure your tickets now at https://t.co/iRYdN9qYY1 or https://t.co/iRVLrRQZDM! 🎟 #BAL5 pic.twitter.com/Q4QDyVf3vu
— Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) May 28, 2025
'I cannot stress enough for the public to know that not having a South African team in the playoffs should not stop people who love entertainment from getting their tickets and coming to support this great Pan-African initiative.
'The entertainment and the games on the court are going to be off the chain,' said Fall.
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