Introducing the 2025 Sahara Conference

The race for two spots in the 2025 BAL postseason continues this week in Dakar, Senegal, where four more teams will compete over the course of six gamedays.

Here is everything you need to know about the 2025 Sahara Conference.

Dakar Arena

Inaugurated in 2018, the Dakar Arena, located in Diamniadio on the outskirts of the Senegalese capital, will host BAL matches for the fourth consecutive season.

With a capacity of 15,000, the emblematic venue is beginning to become a regular venue for the BAL. It has hosted all conference group phase games in the league’s current caravan format.

When it's happening

Each team will play the other three teams twice from Saturday, 26 April to Saturday, 4 May.

Teams

BAL debutants ASC Ville de Dakar will join AS Douanes and Dakar University Club (DUC) as the third Senegalese club to represent the West African nation in the league.

Another newcomer to the league is Cape Verde's Kriol Star, who shocked favorites Burundi's Urunani in the semi-finals of FIBA's Road to BAL Elite 16 to secure one of the two spots on offer for BAL's fifth season.

The winner of the 2022 BAL season, US Monastir, returns to Dakar for the fourth consecutive year. The perennial Tunisian champions are one of the teams, along with Petro de Luanda, to have never missed a BAL season since its inception in 2021, although they did miss out on the 2023 BAL postseason.

Reigning BAL champions Petro de Luanda will be in Dakar for the first time in their BAL history. The only team to reach every BAL postseason, they are aiming to become the first team to win back-to-back BAL titles.

How to watch the games

The 2025 BAL season will reach fans in 214 countries and territories in 17 languages through free-to-air and paid TV broadcast partnerships with the African Union of Broadcasting, American Forces Network (AFN), Canal+, ESPN, NBA TV, Ninety Media Services, SNRT, Tencent Sports, TSN+, TV5 Monde and livestreaming on the NBA App, NBA.com, BAL.NBA.com and the BAL’s YouTube channel.

Additional coverage will be available on the league’s social media platforms.

Fans wanting to watch the games at Dakar Arena can buy their tickets on the BAL website (BAL.NBA.COM).

Age gap between oldest and youngest player

There is a 28-year age gap between the oldest and youngest players in the 2025 Sahara Conference.

Born on 16 August 1980, 44-year-old Radhouane Slimane is the oldest player in the Sahara Conference, while 17-year-old Lewis Igho Uvwo of Kriol Star, born on March 10, 2008, is the youngest.

Youngest team at the 2025 Kalahari Conference

With an average age of 26.7, Petro de Luanda is the youngest of the four teams in the 2025 Kalahari Conference, while US Monastir tops the four-team pool with an average age of 30.7.

Solo Diabate

Only two players in the history of the BAL have won the league twice, and one of them is Petro de Luanda guard Solo Diabate, who lifted the baobab-inspired trophy with Zamalek (2021) and US Monastir (2022). Nigerian Michael Fakuade won the title with Diabate four years ago before lifting the trophy with Al Ahly SC in 2023.

Games played before the 2025 Sahara Conference

By the end of the 2025 Sahara Conference, the number of games in the league will increase from 156 to 168.