Africa-Press – Rwanda. The Basketball Africa League (BAL) is heading to Pretoria, South Africa, with the final eight teams now confirmed for the playoffs slated for June 6–14.
Noel Obadiah’s magical clutch three-pointer against Kenya’s Nairobi City Thunder sent APR to the playoffs after finishing the Nile Conference in second place, just behind Libya’s Al Ahli SC who wrapped up the campaign undefeated.
Times Sport covered the action-packed Nile Conference games from BK Arena and here are the key highlights that shaped the elite club basketball showdown which runs from May 17-25.
Noel came to APR rescue and Boissy led Ahli charge
Several players delivered standout performances throughout the nine-day event.
Obadiah Noel hit a clutch three-pointer with three seconds left, giving APR a dramatic 77–74 win over the Nairobi City Thunder and sealing the final automatic playoff berth.
The shot was enough to send the BK Arena crown into a wild frenzy, as APR avoid yet another BAL nightmare.
Meanwhile, Senegalese point guard Jean Jacques Boissy of Al Ahli Tripoli led both his team and the conference in scoring. Remarkably, he has achieved this just six years after starting his professional basketball career.
Boissy averaged 23 points per game in the Nile Conference.
Elsewhere, Aliou Diarra nearly matched the BAL record for most blocks in a single game. While the record—seven blocks—is held by Khaman Maluach, the Malian center came so close with six during APR’s first-round game against NCT.
Al Ahli Tripoli advances to playoffs with perfect 6–0 record
Al Ahli Tripoli became just the second team to qualify for the 2025 BAL playoffs with an undefeated run.
The Libyan champions closed their regular season with a perfect 6–0 record after defeating MBB 102–73 on Sunday.
Last month in Rabat, Egypt’s Al Ittihad Alexandria became the first team to go undefeated after winning all their six Kalahari Conference games.
APR seal BAL playoff slot on final day
APR clinched second place in the conference and a spot in the 2025 BAL playoffs with a final-day win.
Ahead of their playoff debut, Obadiah Noel emphasized the team’s determination to maintain their fighting spirit.
The Rwandan champions finished the Sahara Conference with a 2–4 record, missing out on the playoffs after losing their key players Adonis Filer and Obadiah Noel to injuries.
No South African team in the playoffs
MBB entered their final game at BK Arena needing a win to qualify. However, Al Ahli Tripoli, despite a slow start, never relented.
It was Tripoli’s second win over MBB, having previously beaten them 87–77 in the first round.
MBB ended the conference with a 2–4 record. South Africans would have been much happier to witness the playoffs featuring a home team but MBB weren’t able to secure a ticket.
FUS Rabat grabs final playoff spot
FUS Rabat clinched the eighth and final playoff spot based on point differential, finishing as the best third-placed team from the Kalahari and Nile Conferences.
They qualified on Sunday after MBB ended with the same 2–4 record but a worse point differential (-19 or lower).
The BAL now heads to South Africa for the 2025 Playoffs and Finals, which will take place at SunBet Arena in Pretoria from June 6–14, marking the first time the league’s championship stage will be hosted in South Africa.
Qualified teams for 2025 BAL Playoffs:
Al Ahli Tripoli (Libya)
Al Ittihad (Egypt)
Rivers Hoopers (Nigeria)
US Monastir (Tunisia)
Petro de Luanda (Angola)
APR (Rwanda)
Kriol Star (Cape Verde)
FUS Rabat (Morocco)
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