Nabaya Basket Club, Spintex Knights, Al Ittihad and Nadi Basket have secured their places in the West Division Elite 16 of the Road to BAL 2027. The four teams will join host club JCA Kings in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in November, as they pursue qualification for the next Basketball Africa League season.
The first phase of the Road to BAL 2027 qualifiers in Tripoli, Libya, has produced the first four teams to advance to the West Division Elite 16. Following the group-stage games in Groups A and B, four clubs booked their tickets to the next stage of Africa’s premier club basketball competition.
Nabaya and Spintex Knights Advance from Group B
Despite opening their campaign with a 96–90 defeat to Spintex Knights, Guinea’s Nabaya Basket Club bounced back in impressive fashion. The Guinean champions defeated Benin’s Énergie BC 80–57 before closing their group-stage campaign with a 78–68 victory over Liberia’s NPA Pythons.
With two wins and one loss, Nabaya finished second in Group B to secure its place in the Elite 16.
Spintex Knights, meanwhile, dominated the group with a perfect three-win record. The Ghanaian club capped its campaign with a 92–71 victory over Énergie BC to finish top of Group B.
Al Ittihad Leads Group A, Nadi Basket Also Qualifies
In Group A, Libyan club Al Ittihad confirmed its dominance in front of its home fans. The team concluded the group stage with a 74–67 win over Stade Malien, securing its third consecutive victory and first place in the group.
Algeria’s Nadi Basket also advanced to the Elite 16 after finishing with two wins and one loss. Meanwhile, Cape Verde’s Kriol Star exited the competition without a victory after losing all three games.
Abidjan Next for the West Division Elite 16
The four qualifiers will join JCA Kings, who have secured a place as the host club, for the West Division Elite 16 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The next stage will bring together the qualified teams with a major objective: finishing among the division’s top two teams to earn direct qualification for the 2027 BAL season.
For Nabaya Basket Club, Spintex Knights, Al Ittihad and Nadi Basket, the challenge now is to maintain their momentum against tougher opposition and continue their pursuit of a place among Africa’s elite basketball clubs.