2023 BAL qualification explained

2023 BAL qualification
League:Road to BAL
Sport:Basketball
Association:FIBA Africa
Duration:10 October – 27 November 2022
No Of Teams:21
No Of Games:50
Season2:East Division
Season:West Division
Top Scorer:Dane Miller Jr. (SLAC)
Prevseason Link:2022 BAL qualification
Nextseason Link:2024 BAL qualification
Nextseason Year:2024
Prevseason Year:2022
Season Champ Name:Division champions
Season Champ2 Name:Division champions
Top Scorer2:Evans Ganapamo (Cape Town Tigers)
Season Champs: ABC Fighters
Season Champs2: Cape Town Tigers

The qualification for the 2023 BAL season, also known as Road to BAL 2023, was the 3rd edition of the qualifying tournaments for the Basketball Africa League. The tournaments were organised by FIBA Africa and are held from 10 October to 27 November 2022.[1] The format was similar to the previous two seasons, with a group phase and an elite 16 being held.

Team allocation

On 21 September 2021, FIBA Africa announced the teams in the qualifying tournaments as well as the six countries that would qualify directly.

West DivisionEast Division
Elite 16
FAP (1st)QS AS Salé (1st)BAL Cobra Sport (1st)QS Cape Town Tigers (1st)QS
SLAC (1st)QSNBA Academy Africa (WC) Ferroviário da Beira (1st)QS
Group phase
Elan Coton (1st) ABC (1st) Urunani (1st) Matero Magic (1st)
Stade Malien (1st) Nueva Era (1st) City Oilers (1st) ABC (1st)
Espoir (2nd) Nigelec (1st) COSPN (1st) KPA (1st)
Bangui Sporting Club (1st) Djabal Iconi (1st)

Withdrawing teams

Nine teams were drawn in a group for the group phase, but withdrew prior to the start of the games.

Group phase

Group A

The group was initially set to feature six teams, including the champions from Cape Verde and the Reformers of Prisons from Ghana. The Reformers of Prisons withdrew, leaving four teams in the group. The games of Group A are held in Niamey, Niger, and are played from 18 October to 23 October.

Group B

Tempo BC from Chad withdrew.[2] Vita Club from the DR Congo withdrew due to the lack of financial means.[3]

The games of Group B were held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and were played from 11 October to 16 October.

Group C

Although initially planned to take place on 25–30 October, the games were rescheduled to 28–30 October. Hawassa City from Ethiopia withdrew.[4]

The games of Group C were schedules to be hosted in Kampala, Uganda, but were pulled from the country because of the 2022 Uganda Ebola outbreak. Dar es Salaam in Tanzania was announced as the new venue.

Group D

The games of Group D were held in Antananarivo, Madagascar, and are played from 18 to 23 October.Dekedaha from Somalia and Foxes from Zimbabwe withdrew, leaving four teams in the group. One day before the start, Roche-Bois Warriors from Mauritius withdrew as well.[5]

Elite 16

In the elite 16, the eight teams from the first round are joined by six teams that qualified in the 2022 qualification. The NBA Academy Africa and Elan Coton joined as wild cards.[6]

Draw

The draw was held on 3 November 2022 on Abidjan.

West Division

The games of the East Division are held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and are played from 15 to 20 November.

Group A

Group B

Final round

Final

East Division

The games of the East Division are held in Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg, South Africa, and are played from 22 to 27 November.[7] Initially, it was announcned that games would be held in Cape Town.

Group A

The games played by the NBA Academy Africa are not scored and are ineligible to qualify for the next round; however, games against the team will be used for their opponents' standings.

Group B

Matero Magic from Zambia were given a wild card to join Group B, after Cobra Sport from South Sudan withdrew.

Final round

Semi-finals

Final

Statistics

Individual statistic leaders

Note: statistics from six games in Group A, as well as two games in the final round of the Eltie 16 East Division are missing.[8]

Category Player Team(s) Statistic Played
Efficiency per game 24.5 4
Points per game Evans GanapamoCape Town Tigers21.0 4
Rebounds per game Dane Miller Jr. SLAC11.8 4
Assists per game Elly RandriamampiononaCOSPN4.34
Steals per game Kenny GasanaBangui Sporting Club2.86
Blocks per game Chris ObekpaSLAC4.34
Turnovers per game Dane Miller Jr. 5.5 4
Minutes per game Mandrell Worthy Nueva Era38.3 4
FG% Dane Miller Jr. SLAC 54.2% 4
3P% Ibrahima Fofana 50.0% 4
FT% Mandrell Worthy Nueva Era 85.2% 4
Double-doubles Dane Miller Jr. SLAC 4 4

Individual game highs

Category Player Team Statistic
Efficiency Evans GanapamoCape Town Tigers35
Points Falando Jones City Oilers40
Rebounds Kendall GrayBangui Sporting Club20
Assists Yassine El Mahsini9
Steals Dhieu DeingCape Town Tigers8
Blocks Chris ObekpaSLAC 7
Three pointers Elly Randriamampionona6

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2022-09-21 . African clubs to compete in 2022 Road to BAL and Elite 16 Qualifying Tournaments confirmed . 2022-09-23 . FIBA.basketball . en.
  2. Web site: 2022-10-11 . Get to know the first four teams to open the 2022 Road to BAL season . 2022-10-13 . FIBA.basketball . en.
  3. Web site: Ibrahima . Fall El Hadji . 2022-10-12 . BAL 2023-Groupe B (Qualifications) : Vita Club finalement forfait . 2022-10-13 . Sport News Africa . fr-FR.
  4. Web site: Road to BAL's Group C rescheduled . 2022-10-24 . FIBA.basketball . en.
  5. Web site: 2022-10-20 . 2022 Road to BAL: Group D Preview . 2022-10-21 . FIBA.basketball . en.
  6. Web site: 2022-11-03 . Draw results in for Elite 16 Round of Season 3 of Basketball Africa League . 2022-11-08 . FIBA.basketball . en.
  7. Web site: Things to know about the Elite 16 qualifier for the Basketball Africa League 2023 . 2022-11-16 . FIBA.basketball . en.
  8. Web site: Players statistics of the Africa Champions Clubs ROAD TO B.A.L. 2023 2022 . 2022-11-19 . FIBA.basketball . en.