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2025 BAL final

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2025 BAL final
Promotional material for the final
Event2025 BAL season
Al Ahli Tripoli Petro de Luanda
Libya Angola
(8–1) (5–4)
88 67
Head coach:
Fouad Abou Chakra		 Head coach:
Sergio Valdeolmillos
1234 Total
Al Ahli Tripoli 27162322 88
Petro de Luanda 19191613 67
Date14 June 2025
VenueSunBet Arena, Pretoria, South Africa
FavoriteAl Ahli Tripoli (1.39 decimal odds)[1]
RefereesJulian Scott, Yann Vezo Davidson, Annie Joyce Muchenu
Attendance6,853
← 2024
2026 →

The 2025 BAL final was the championship game of the 2025 BAL season, the third season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), and the conclusion of the playoffs. The final was played on 14 June 2025 at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa, which was the venue for the first time. The final was contested by Angolan club Petro de Luanda and Libyan club Al Ahli Tripoli.

Al Ahli Tripoli won the final, defeating the defending champions Petro, 88–67, becoming the first Libyan team to win the title, as well as the first team that qualified through the Road to BAL to win the league. As winners, Al Ahli qualified for the 2025 FIBA Intercontinental Cup.

Background

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Al Ahly Ly guard Solo Diabate played a in a record-extending fourth final, and had the chance to become the first player to win three BAL championships. Al Ahli Tripoli was favored by betmakers ahead of the final.[1]

Previous finals

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In the following table, finals played in the FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup (ACC), the previous highest level continental competition, are in small text.

Team Previous final appearances (bold indicates winners)
Angola Petro de Luanda BAL: 2 (2022, 2024)
FIBA ACC: 8 (1994, 1999, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2015)
Libya Al Ahly Tripoli None

Road to the final

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Further information: 2025 BAL season
Libya Al Ahli Tripoli Round Angola Petro de Luanda
Opponent Result Conference phase Opponent Result
Nile Conference
Pos Team
 Pld PCT
1 Libya Al Ahli Tripoli 6 1.000
2 Rwanda APR (H) 6 .500
3 South Africa MBB 6 .333
4 Kenya Nairobi City Thunder 6 .167
Source: BAL
(H) Hosts
 Standings Sahara Conference
Pos Team
 Pld PCT
1 Tunisia US Monastir 6 .667
2 Angola Petro de Luanda 6 .500
3 Cape Verde Kriol Star 6 .500
4 Senegal ASC Ville de Dakar (H) 6 .333
Source: BAL
(H) Hosts
South Africa MBB W 87–77 Matchday 1 Cape Verde Kriol Star W 103–74
Kenya Nairobi City Thunder W 115–87 Matchday 2 Tunisia US Monastir L 73–87
Rwanda APR W 90–68 Matchday 3 Senegal ASC Ville de Dakar L 64–65
Kenya Nairobi City Thunder W 104–91 Matchday 4 Tunisia US Monastir W 78–68
Rwanda APR W 106–102 Matchday 5 Senegal ASC Ville de Dakar W 76–67
South Africa MBB W 102–73 Matchday 6 Cape Verde Kriol Star L 69–71 (OT)
Opponent Agg. Playoffs Opponent Agg.
Egypt Al Ittihad Alexandria L 74–85 Seeding game Rwanda APR L 57–75
Cape Verde Kriol Star W 107–81 Quarterfinals Tunisia US Monastir W 95–84
Rwanda APR W 84–71 Semifinals Egypt Al Ittihad Alexandria W 96–74

Petro de Luanda

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See also: 2024–25 Petro de Luanda basketball season
Aboubakar Gakou led Petro to another treble and won his third Angolan League MVP award

After the successful previous season, veteran Jone Pedro left the club (after 5 years), along with Gerson Gonçalves (after 9 years), who signed a contract in France.[2][3] The team reinforced themselves with Solo Diabate, who returned after one season in Libya, and Patrick Gardner. The season began with the Supertaça de Angola on November 24, 2024; Petro won the cup for an eleventh time after easily defeating Interclube in the game.[4]

In January 2025, Carlos Morais left the team after 22 seasons with Petro, when he signed with Interclube.[5] They also signed Rigoberto Mendoza. Petro was allocated in the Sahara Conference, and thus played the group stage games in Dakar. They finished second behind US Monastir and qualified for the playoffs.

On April 11, Petro won its 15th Taça de Angola (Cup) title after crushing Vila Clotilde in the final game.[6] With their victory they tied Primeiro de Agosto's record for most cup titles won.[7] On May 12, 2025, Petro announced the signing of Samkelo Cele to the team.[8] On May 30, 2025, Petro successfully defended its national title by defeating Primeiro de Agosto in the finals in five games.[9][10] It was Petro's eighteenth title, and the sixth consecutive championship. It was the second team to win six straight titles, following Primeiro de Agosto's streak between 2000 and 2005.[11] Aboubakar Gakou was named the Angolan League MVP for a third time.[12]

Al Ahly Tripoli

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Game

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14 June 2025 Al Ahli Tripoli Libya 88–67 Angola Petro de Luanda Pretoria, South Africa
16:00 Scoring by quarter: 27–19, 16–19, 23–16, 22–13
Pts: Marei 22
Rebs: Marei 19
Asts: Adams 7 		Boxscore Pts: Gakou 12
Rebs: Gardner 5
Asts: Dundão 8 		Arena: SunBet Arena
Attendance: 6,853
Referees: Julian Scott, Yann Vezo Davidson, Annie Joyce Muchenu
Starters: Pts Reb Ast
PG 2 United States Jaylen Adams 11 7 7
SF 4 United States Fabian White Jr. 18 9 0
SG 7 Libya Naseim Badrush 0 0 2
PG 13 Libya Mohamed Sadi 11 4 8
C 50 Egypt Assem Marei 22 19 3
Reserves:
PG 5 Senegal Jean Jacques Boissy 12 1 2
SG 10 Nigeria Caleb Agada 10 2 4
PG 11 Libya Bakeer Fellah 0 0 0
C 12 Nigeria Emmanuel Onoja 0 1 0
SG 23 Libya Ahmed Alsawadiq 2 0 1
C 24 Libya Anees Almansouri 0 0 0
C 34 Libya Wajdi Dawo 2 0 0
PF 45 Libya Ali Abd Rahim 0 0 0
Head coach:
Lebanon Fouad Abou Chakra
Al Ahli Tripoli jersey
Team colours
Al Ahli Tripoli
Petro de Luanda jersey
Team colours
Petro de Luanda

Al Ahli Tripoli Statistics[13] Petro de Luanda
23/50 (46%) 2-pt field goals 17/37 (45%)
8/28 (28%) 3-pt field goals 8/22 (36%)
18/22 (81%) Free throws 9/15 (60%)
25 Offensive rebounds 8
29 Defensive rebounds 22
54 Total rebounds 30
19 Assists 26
16 Turnovers 18
12 Steals 13
5 Blocks 5
19 Fouls 18


2025 BAL champions
Libya
Al Ahli Tripoli
1st BAL title; 1st continental title
Starters: Pts Reb Ast
PG 5 Angola Childe Dundão 11 4 8
SG 12 Dominican Republic Rigoberto Mendoza 10 2 3
PF 14 Angola Clésio Castro 6 1 1
F 24 Angola Glofate Buiamba 2 1 0
F 28 Egypt Patrick Gardner 11 5 4
Reserves:
PG 00 Angola Gerson Domingos DNP
SG 1 Angola Eduardo Simão DNP
C 2 Angola Yanick Moreira 1 4 2
SG 7 United States Kendrick Ray 8 2 1
PG 10 Ivory Coast Solo Diabate 4 1 4
SF 13 Nigeria Samson Mashebinu DNP
PF 15 Angola Aboubacar Gakou 12 2 2
SG 23 South Africa Samkelo Cele 2 0 1
Head coach:
Spain Sergio Valdeolmillos

References

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  1. ^ a b "BAL Betting Odds & Fixtures, Basketball Africa | Odds Portal". Oddsportal.com. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
  2. ^ "Gerson Gonçalves est Savoyard !". AMSB (in French). 16 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  3. ^ "Gerson Gonçalves est Savoyard !". AMSB (in French). 16 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  4. ^ Angolan Basketball Federation [@fab_angola_oficial]; (24 November 2024). "🏀 PETRO VENCE A SUPERTAÇA VLADIMIRO ROMERO 🏆 [..]" – via Instagram.
  5. ^ "More than 20 years later, Carlos Morais says 'goodbye' to Petro and starts wearing the Interclube shirt". VerAngola. 31 January 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
  6. ^ Vicente, Adão (11 April 2025). "Taça de Angola em basquetebol na galeria tricolor". Petro de Luanda (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  7. ^ Vicente, Adão (11 April 2025). "Taça de Angola em basquetebol na galeria tricolor". Petro de Luanda (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  8. ^ Vicente, Adão (11 May 2025). "PETRO REFORÇA EQUIPA PARA A FASE FINAL DA BAL". Petro de Luanda (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  9. ^ Vicente, Adão (30 May 2025). "Petro Atlético conquista Unitel Basket". Petro de Luanda (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  10. ^ "Basketball: Petro wins and (re)validates national title". VerAngola. 30 May 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  11. ^ Angop - Agência Angola Press. "Petro wins 1º de Agosto and revalidates National…". angop.ao. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  12. ^ "Basketball: Petro wins and (re)validates national title". VerAngola. 30 May 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  13. ^ "LiveStats". geniussports.com. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
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