When the final buzzer sounded at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, history had been made. Libya’s Alahli Tripoli triumphed over Angola’s Petro de Luanda with a dominant 88-67 win, claiming the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) Championship. This year’s tournament was about a Pan-African celebration of basketball, music, and identity. With fans from across the continent, global NBA legends in attendance, and some of Africa’s biggest artists igniting halftime shows, the BAL Finals confirmed basketball is culture.
In only their debut season, Alahli Tripoli went from underdogs to BAL champions, making them the first Libyan team to win the coveted title. Their road to glory began in Kigali, Rwanda, where they dominated the Nile Conference with a 9-1 record before sweeping through the playoffs. In the final, Jean Jacques Boissy led from the front, scoring, defending, and dictating play with the poise of a seasoned veteran. Boissy’s efforts earned him the 2025 Hakeem Olajuwon MVP Trophy, and the distinction of being both the Scoring Champion and a member of the All-BAL First and Defensive Teams.
His performance was nothing short of masterful: 18.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.2 steals, and 1.9 assists per game, solidifying his place as one of the league’s brightest rising stars.
Rwanda’s APR secured third place after an explosive 123–90 win over Egypt’s Al Ittihad , the highest single-game score in BAL history. At center, Aliou Diarra continued his dominance, becoming the first player ever to win Defensive Player of the Year twice, and earned a spot on both the All-BAL First and Defensive Teams.
This year’s BAL season brought together eight powerhouse clubs representing the diversity and strength of African basketball as Alahli Tripoli (Libya), Petro de Luanda (Angola), APR (Rwanda), Al Ittihad (Egypt), FUS Rabat (Morocco), Rivers Hoopers (Nigeria), Kriol Star (Cape Verde) and US Monastir (Tunisia) making the finals.
The tournament drew a record-breaking 141,564 fans across its games, broadcast to 214 countries in 17 languages, highlighting BAL’s global reach and Africa’s growing basketball ecosystem.
The BAL Finals transformed Pretoria into a cultural hub, blending fashion, music, sport, and lifestyle in an unforgettable spectacle. BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall called South Africa a “key market” and left the door open for the country to become a long-term host of BAL’s biggest stage.
“We are part of the NBA ecosystem,” Fall noted. “We want to offer an opportunity for African talent, both local and from the diaspora, to thrive and build an industry around our game.”
And what an industry it was. This year’s edition featured NBA icons like Tracy McGrady, Joakim Noah, Boris Diaw, and Luol Deng rubbing shoulders with local creatives and fans, underscoring the global and Pan-African fusion of the event.
The intersection of basketball and music was front and center at BAL 2025. The halftime shows became mini music festivals, curated with precision to reflect the vibrancy of African youth culture.
South African hitmakers Cassper Nyovest, Ch’cco, Aymos, Zee Nxumalo, Blxckie, Bassie, Focalistic, and Maglera Doe Boy lit up the SunBet Arena, turning halftime into a sonic celebration.
Editorial and visual coverage of the performances splashed across social media and international platforms. These artists, some draped in designer fits or street-inspired looks, proved that style and sport belong together on the same stage.
Celebrities, influencers, former NBA stars, and media personalities mingled freely. The energy was palpable. BAL showcaed Africa, its creativity, its ambition, and rhythm.
In keeping with its community-centered ethos, the BAL also recognized athletes who contributed beyond basketball:
Coach of the Year: Abou Chacra Joseph Fouad (Alahli Tripoli)
Ubuntu Award: Joel Almeida (Kriol Star, Cape Verde) — for his grassroots youth programs
Sportsmanship Award: Souleyman Diabate (Petro de Luanda)
These honours reaffirmed BAL’s commitment to values like leadership, social impact, and African unity.
