The Basketball Africa League (BAL) fourth edition is getting closer to action with 12 clubs from across Africa vying for supremacy at the elite club basketball showpiece which begins in March 2024.
Currently, the qualifying phase is in its final stages and all eyes are now on Johannesburg, the host city of the East Division Elite 16 qualifier, where eight teams will be vying for three tickets up for grabs.
In what turns out as the final round of the qualifiers, the South African city serves as the last stop for the qualifiers which are due from November 21-26. You lose it, then it will be a ‘see you next season.’
ALSO READ: Liz Mills’ Bangui stun Benghazi to book first-ever BAL ticket
So far, eight teams have tickets to the 2024 BAL. Three teams namely Al Ahly Beghazi (Libya), FUS Rabat (Morocco) and SC Bangui (Central Africa Republic) booked the tickets through qualification while Al Ahly (Egypt), Petro de Luanda (Angola), APR (Rwanda), AS Douanes (Senegal) and US Monastir (Tunisia) have automatic qualification for the tournament.
Besides, an unconfirmed champion from Nigeria will also join the list with an automatic qualification.
Weekend Sport examines some of the teams vying for the ticket what’s it as stake ahead of them.
ALSO READ: BAL: Who will secure the first two tickets to season four?
Group A
Tanzanian champions Pazi edged Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) 69-67 to sail through to the next round for the first time. They were drawn in Group A where they will have to square off against Burundi’s Dynamo one more time.
They will have their hands full as they come face to face with a young and bubbling NBA Academy Africa side as well as Cape Town Tigers who are no newcomers in the continent's premier club competition.
Group B
Regulars Ferroviaro da Beira (Mozambique) and City Oilers (Uganda) remain the favourites to top this group. They will be a real stumbling block in the path of the Indian Ocean Island powerhouse COSPN and JBC of Zimbabwe in the group.
Once the three teams from the East are known, they will join talented-laden opponents from the West and the six that includes reigning champions Al Ahly Sporting Club (Egypt) and last year's finalist AS Douanes (Senegal).
The fierce five-day competition in Johannesburg will determine teams that will secure the last three available tickets for the upcoming BAL festival which will be hosted, for the first time, across four African cities, namely, Johannesburg, Cairo, Dakar and Kigali.