Excitement is building ahead of Sunday’s Basketball Africa League (BAL) final between home side RSSB Tigers and Angola’s Petro de Luanda as the tournament concludes in Kigali. For the Tigers, reaching the final has surprised many, considering this is their debut BAL campaign. Petro, meanwhile, are heading to their fourth BAL final since the competition was launched six seasons ago. ALSO READ: RSSB Tigers eliminate Al Ahly to reach historic BAL 2026 final The Tigers booked their place in the final after defeating Egypt’s Al Ahly 106-97 in a thrilling semifinal at BK Arena on Wednesday, while Petro overcame Libya’s Al Ahly Ly 94-88 on Thursday. Here is what to know about the two teams ahead of the finals: - Tigers founded in 2019, Petro in 1976 RSSB Tigers Basketball Club, based in Kigali, competes in the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL). Originally known as Tigers BBC, the club was founded in 2019 by former player Francis Shyaka, who previously featured for APR, Kigali Basketball Club (KBC) and Patriots. ALSO READ: Petro de Luanda advance to third straight BAL final Petro de Luanda was established in 1976 and is part of a multi-sports club that also includes football and handball teams. The club is among Angola’s most successful sports institutions. - Who owns the teams? At the end of the 2025 season, the Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) took full ownership of Tigers BBC, leading to the club’s rebranding as RSSB Tigers. Petro de Luanda is owned by Angola’s state oil company Sonangol through the wider Atlético Petróleos de Luanda sports group. Sonangol oversees Angola’s oil exploration, production, refining and distribution operations. - Trophy history RSSB Tigers are yet to win the Rwanda Basketball League title but lifted the inaugural Rwanda Basketball Cup in 2025. The Rwanda Cup was introduced in 2025 to run alongside the league as part of efforts to expand the number of domestic competitions and increase team participation in the country. Petro de Luanda, meanwhile, are one of Africa’s most decorated clubs. They have won 12 Angolan league titles, two African Champions Cups (2006 and 2015), and the 2024 BAL title. - Previous meetings The two teams have met once before, during the BAL Kalahari Conference in Pretoria, South Africa, in March. On that occasion, RSSB Tigers defeated Petro de Luanda 82-78.
