INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE: 156 players from a record 28 countries will participate in the 2025 Basketball Africa League’s (BAL) season, including 52 players from nine countries in the Kalahari Conference group phase from April 5–13. This will mark the first time BAL games will be held in Morocco.
OLYMPIC TALENT: Majok Machar Deng (South Sudan; Al Ittihad Alexandria) is the only player in the Kalahari Conference that represented the South Sudanese national team at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
FROM THE NBA TO THE BAL: George King (U.S.; Al Ittihad) is the only player in the Kalahari Conference to have been drafted into the NBA. King was selected 59th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns and joined the team on a two-way contract in the 2018-19 NBA season. Between 2019 and 2021, he played for several clubs in Europe, including in Italy, Poland, and Germany. He also had a brief stint with the Dallas Mavericks in 2021.
G LEAGUERS TO WATCH: Three players in the Kalahari Conference have NBA G League experience: Deng Angok Yak Deng (Al Ittihad, South Sudan; Team); Johnathan Jordan (FUS de Rabat, U.S.; Raptors 905) and George King (Al Ittihad, U.S.; Ontario Clippers).
GROWING THE ECOSYSTEM: One player and two coaches participating in the Kalahari Conference have been selected to participate in the NBA Summer League based on their performance during the BAL season. Through the Africa Coaches program 25 coaches last and four players were selected to participate in the tournament in Las Vegas, U.S.: 2021 BAL champion Anas Mahmoud (Al Ittihad; 2021 NBA Summer League, Toronto Raptors) and coaches, Ogoh Odaudu (Rivers Hoopers; 2024 NBA Summer League, Cleveland Cavaliers) and Mohamed Abdulrahman (Rivers Hoopers, 2024 NBA Summer League, Utah Jazz).
NCAA TO BAL: The Kalahari Conference features 14 players with NCAA Division I experience:
• FUS Rabat: Ayoub Nouhi (Morocco; University of Texas Arlington); Johnathan Jordan (U.S; Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi) and Mike Fofana (Cote d’Ivoire; Henderson State University).
• Al Ittihad: Ahmed Aly Mohamed (Egypt; California State University Bakersfield), Anas Mahmoud (Egypt, Louisville University), Deng Angok Yak Deng (South Sudan, Baylor University), Majok Machar Deng (South Sudan; University of Louisiana at Monroe); George King (U.S.; University of Colorado) and Kyle Vinales (U.S.; Central Connecticut State University).
• Rivers Hoopers: Kelvin Amayo (Nigeria; Loyola Marymount University) and Raphiael Putney (U.S.; University of Massachusetts); Madut Akec (South Sudan; University of Detroit Mercy).
• Stade Malien: Cartier Diarra (Mali; Kansas State University) and Mamadou Doucoure (Mali; La Salle University).
ELEVATING YOUNG TALENT: Four NBA Academy Africa student-athletes will participate in the Kalahari Conference as part of the fourth edition of the BAL Elevate program: Yakhya Diop (Senegal; FUS Rabat), Matong Akech Malek Muorwel (South Sudan; Al Ittihad), David Ugonna Ike (Nigeria; Rivers Hoopers) and Ousseynou Sambe (Senegal; Stade Malien). Both Ike and Diop advanced to the BAL Playoffs and Finals with the Rivers Hoopers and Cape Town Tigers, respectively, last year.
FROM BWB TO THE BAL: Four players in the Kalahari Conference participated in Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa, the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program: Ahmed Aly Mohamed (Egypt; Al Ittihad Alexandria; BWB 2009); Romeo Wilfried Enan (Cote d’Ivoire; Stade Malien; BWB 2010); Moursi Mohamed Ahmed Abouelela Khalaf (Egypt; Al Ittihad Alexandria; BWB 2016) and David Ugonna Ike (Nigeria; Rivers Hoopers; BWB 2024).
HOMETOWN HEROES: Morocco’s FUS Rabat will start its second BAL campaign against Egypt’s Al Ittihad Alexandria on April 5 at 7:00 p.m. local time at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex.
FOUR TEAMS, ONE GOAL
Fath Union Sport (FUS; Morocco)
• FUS Rabat is bringing back the majority of its core from last year’s team. Having made only four changes to its roster with the likes of Aliou Diarra and Kendrick Brown gone, FUS Rabat added newcomers in Mouhamadou Diagne (Senegal), Nisre Mimi Zouzoua (Cote d’Ivoire), Mike Fofana (Cote d’Ivoire) and Soufiane Kourdou (Morocco).
• Soufiane Kourdou (Morocco) is a sharpshooter. At the 2017 Arab Nations Cup in Egypt, he was the tournament’s leading scorer, averaging 18.6 points per game. In 2023, he won his first international medal with Morocco, claiming the FIBA AfroCan title.
• John Jordan (U.S.) put the league on notice as the high-flying man threw down several monstrous dunks in the season-opening group phase in South Africa last season, leading the team to the BAL Playoffs. The 2016 NBA G League Slam Dunk Contest Champion and 2017 G League Champion debuted in the BAL last season, averaging 14.7 points and 4.8 assists per game.
• 2017 FIBA 3×3 U18 World Cup champion and MVP Ayoub Nouhi (Morocco) played for University of Texas Arlington and turned pro during the inaugural BAL season in 2021. He joins season five Kalahari Conference hosts FUS Rabat for a second consecutive season.
Al Ittihad (Egypt)
• Al Ittihad will make its BAL debut in the Kalahari Conference and face the hometown team, FUS Rabat, in its opening game of the season on April 5 at 7:00 p.m. local time.
• Al Ittihad acquired Olympian who represented South Sudan during the 2024 Olympic Games last August, Majok Machar Deng (South Sudan).
• Two-time BAL champion and 2021 BAL Defensive Player of the Year Anas Mahmoud (Egypt) returns to the BAL for the third time in a new uniform after suiting up for Egypt’s Zamalek in 2021 and 2023 with Al Ahly.
• A BAL finalist last season with Al Ahly Libya, Majok Machar Deng (South Sudan) returns for the second consecutive year. The 2024 All-BAL 2nd Team honoree put up 24 points in the 2024 BAL Finals against Petro de Luanda of Angola.
• Two teams have represented Egypt in the league, each winning its respective debut season, inaugural season champions Zamalek and 2023 champions Al Ahly.
Stade Malien (Mali)
• Cartier Diarra (Mali) returns for his second campaign after participating in season four with South Africa’s Cape Town Tigers, helping the squad to its first semi-final appearance. Diarra averaged 10 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game in his first BAL season.
• Landing Sané (France/Senegal), will bring his wealth of experience to Stade Malien the French center, will make his BAL debut this season after being picked up from the 2024 BAL Combine. After 13 seasons in Europe, including stints in the playing in division one teams in France and Spain.
Rivers Hoopers (Nigeria)
• “The Kings Men” from Port Harcourt return to the BAL for the third time after a successful campaign last season. The team finished in third place last year, becoming the first Nigerian team to finish in the top three in BAL history.
• The Hoopers are coached by former Nigerian national team player and 2024 BAL Coach of the Year Ogoh Odaudu.
• Kelvin Amayo (Nigeria) averaged the second most minutes per game last season. Off the court, the guard is the Chief Executive Officer of Overseas Takeover, a media platform that collaborates with overseas athletes to inspire the culture through storytelling, sports, and conversation, while showcasing their journeys of pursuing professional careers in sport across the globe.
• Peter Olisemeka, Abel Offia and Kelvin Amayo (Nigeria) return to the Rivers Hoopers for their second straight campaign.
• Rivers Hoopers have traded Victor Anthony Koko for his younger sibling Ifeanyi Koko (Nigeria). The 20-year-old recently received his first cap playing for the national team in the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket qualifiers.
• David Ugonna Ike (Nigeria) returns to the BAL after his BAL Elevate debut last season. Ike was named the 2024 BWB Africa camp MVP and Defensive MVP and recently participated in the BWB Global camp held during NBA All-Star 2025 in the San Francisco Bay Area.
*Courtesy of BAL
