Can Al Ahly win their second BAL title in their third attempt? 

By the time the 2026 Sahara Conference begins in Rabat, Morocco, Al Ahly will have become the Egyptian club with the most Basketball Africa League (BAL) appearances under its belt, having participated in two of the league's five seasons to date.

They will have overtaken their Egyptian rivals, Zamalek and Al Ittihad Alexandria, who participated in 2021, 2022 and 2025 respectively. Both teams made an impact in the BAL, but they will have played fewer games than Al Ahly. 

Al Ahly are one of only two teams — alongside Libya’s Alhali Tripoli — to have won the BAL trophy in their debut season.

Known as the Red Devils, Al Ahly was founded in 1930 and is one of the oldest basketball clubs in Africa. 

Like Petro de Luanda, Al Ahly are one of only two teams to have previously won the BAL in the current season.

Al Ahly made history by winning the league title in their first ever BAL appearance in 2023. This was the club's second African title, after winning the 2016 FIBA Africa Champions Cup in Cairo.

Following their 2023 remarkable success, Al-Ahly had a disappointing campaign in 2024, missing out on a semi-final spot and finishing eighth.

Having won the Egyptian championship eight times, Al Ahly are one of the most popular clubs in the country, rivalling Zamalek. 

The Egyptian powerhouse secured their place in the 2026 BAL season by winning the 2025 Egypt Super League after defeating their rivals, Al Ittihad Alexandria, in the fifth game of the best-of-five series.

This victory cemented their status as a dominant force in Egyptian basketball, marking their third title in the last four Egyptian Super League campaigns.

Players:

The Al Ahly squad consists of some of the biggest names in Egyptian basketball. Most of these players are regular members of the national team and have become household names in Africa.

Several players have represented Egypt at various levels of the national team.

Players such as Ibrahim Zahran, Ehab Amin (playmaker), Amr Gendy (sharpshooter) and Omar Oraby (seven-foot centre) have worn the Al Ahly jersey for the last five years and played pivotal roles in their 2023 BAL championship win.

Among Al Ahly’s most recent signings for their 2026 BAL campaign are former FUS Rabat guard John Jordan and Osay Osifo, who last played for the Austin Spurs in the G League.

Head Coach:

Any diehard fan of African basketball will be familiar with the name Linos Gavriel. 

The Greek-Cypriot coach made his mark on African basketball in the 2010s by coaching the Tunisian team Etoile Sportive de Rades to second place in the 2014 FIBA Africa Champions Cup, which was held in Tunisia. 

The previous year, the 51-year-old Gavriel had led another Tunisian team, Etoile Sportive du Sahel, to second place in the same competition.

Gavriel led Bahraini side Manama Club to the title of the 2023 FIBA West Asia Super League.