Al Ahli Tripoli and APR win again, Basketball Africa League (BAL) playoffs in South Africa set
May 26, 2025
Al Ahli’s Mohamed Abdourahman #13 and Caleb Agada #10 celebrate the team’s last win and their 6-0 record in the Nile Conference group phase at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda on May 25, 2025. Photo by Julien Bacot, BAL/Getty Images
The BAL will now head to South Africa with the 2025 BAL Playoffs and Finals set to take place at SunBet Arena in Pretoria from June 6-14, marking the first time BAL Playoffs and Finals will be held in South Africa.
KIGALI, Rwanda, May 26, 2025/ -- Al Ahli Tripoli (Libya) beat MBB (South Africa) 102-73 and APR (Rwanda) defeated Nairobi City Thunder (Kenya) 77-74 and the Basketball Africa League (BAL) (https://BAL.NBA.com/) Playoffs in South Africa have now been set.
Al Ahli and APR will join BAL debutant Al Ittihad (Egypt), last year’s semifinalist Rivers Hoopers (Nigeria), 2022 BAL champion US Monastir (Tunisia), the defending champion Petro de Luanda (Angola), BAL debutant Kriol Star (Cape Verde) and FUS Rabat (Morocco) when the BAL Playoffs tip off at SunBet Arena in Pretoria on June 6. Tickets to the 2025 BAL Playoffs and Finals are available on Ticketmaster.co.za.
Jaylen Adams led Al Ahli with 28 points while shooting 9-of-15 from the floor. Teafale Lenard Jr. led MBB with 18 points and 11 rebounds. and Pieter Prinsloo recorded 11points and five rebounds, but MBB could not overcome the well poised Libyan team that converted 50 percent of their shots.
APR’s Obadia Noel #1 driving a basketball during APR’s game against Nairobi City Thunder at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda on May 25, 2025. Photo by Theo Kine, BAL/Getty Images
Aliou Diarra got 22 points, 17 rebounds and eight blocks, and Youssoupha Ndoye added 18 points eight rebounds for APR, but it all came down to the last seconds and Obadia Noel’s (16 points) spectacular three for APR to get a W. Onyango Odero led City Thunder with 29 points, with Uchenna Iroegbu adding 16 points and William Davis II adding 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The BAL will now head to South Africa with the 2025 BAL Playoffs and Finals set to take place at SunBet Arena in Pretoria from June 6-14, marking the first time BAL Playoffs and Finals will be held in South Africa.
