Could Al Ahly Ly become the second Libyan team to win the BAL?

Al Ahly Ly, one of the oldest basketball clubs in Libya and Africa, are heading to the 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL) season with a second chance in mind.

By the time the 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL) season begins in Pretoria, South Africa, Al Ahly Libya will be looking to put right their mistakes from the 2024 BAL season, when they were strong favourites but lost 107–94 to Petro de Luanda in the final in Kigali.

Judging by their high-profile signings, Al Ahly Ly could well proclaim themselves title contenders.

Founded in 1947, the club hails from the Libyan city of Benghazi and has a strong history in the country's basketball league, having won four titles — most recently in 2025.

Undefeated in the Road to BAL Qualifying Round

Al Ahly Ly's intentions this season could not be clearer than with their undefeated 2026 Road to BAL. campaign. 

It all started in Bamako, Mali, where they finished with an impressive 3–0, including wins over the hosts, Centre de Référence de Basketball de Tombouctou, as well as AS Douanes and Centre Federal de Guinee. 

Al Ahly Ly continued their dominance in the Elite 16 West Division in Praia, Cape Verde, where they won all four games to conclude their 2026 Road to BAL campaign with a perfect 7–0 record.

Last July, Al Ahly Ly won the 2025 Libyan League title by beating the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) champions, Al Ahli Tripoli, 3–0 in a best-of-five playoff series.

Players to watch out for

Sofian Hamad, Adrees Zeew and Asmaeil Aljahmi all played valuable minutes during the qualifying campaign. The three Libyan internationals are expected to return for the 2026 Kalahari Conference.

Al Ahly Ly were ambitious in the transfer market, signing the American shooting guard duo of Damion Baugh and Donovan Williams, both of whom have NBA experience. 

The Libyan champions have also signed Algerian power forward Mohamed Harat, who played for GS Petroliers in the 2021 BAL season, as well as 6'11" Australian-South Sudanese center Gorjok Gak.

Head Coach 

Ahmed Soliman is the man at the helm of Al Ahly Ly.

The 59-year-old Egyptian has been in charge of the Libyan champions since the beginning of the season.

He previously led Al Ittihad Alexandria to a fourth-place finish in the 2025 BAL season.

During his playing career, Soliman represented Egypt at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Why should you keep an eye on Al Ahly Ly?

The 2024 BAL final will probably live long in the memory of many Al Ahly Ly fans, players, coaches and management, given how close they were to winning the baobab-inspired trophy.

Al Ahly Ly arrived in Kigali, the venue for the 2024 playoffs, ready to make history. Having reached the title game against Petro de Luanda on a three-game winning streak, losing the rebounding battle 47–32 had a profound effect on their chances of becoming the first Libyan team to win the BAL title. They lost 107–94.

Al Ahly Ly now have a second chance to put things right and will be trying to keep the BAL trophy in Libya for the second year running, after their domestic rivals Al Ahly Tripoli won the league in 2025.

Al Ahly Ly’s BAL record

During their BAL debut in 2024, the Benghazi-based team experienced both highs and lows, ultimately finishing with a 6–4 win–loss record.