Meet the BAL stars making waves at the 2025 AfroBasket

With the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket semifinals scheduled for August 23, players with a Basketball Africa League (BAL) background continue to demonstrate their excellence.

There’s no shortage of BAL players in the African Championship in Angola, which ends on August 24.

This article highlights the BAL difference-makers in the 2025 AfroBasket.

Solo Diabate (Zamalek, US Monastir, Petro de Luanda Al Ahly Ly/COTE D’IVOIRE)

A two-time BAL champion with Zamalek and US Monastir, Solo Diabaté brought his A-game when Côte d'Ivoire needed him most in a crucial Group A match against Cape Verde in Moçâmedes, Angola.

With the game on the line and uncertainty looming, the Ivorians needed Diabate, one of their most celebrated players, to deliver a heroic performance.

He entered the game in the fourth quarter with only two points and scored eight more in the final minutes, including a three-pointer, to finish with 10 points and secure the Ivorians' 82-81 victory.

That win brought Côte d'Ivoire to a 2–0 record, and they advanced to Luanda undefeated in three games.

However, Côte d'Ivoire fell short in overtime, losing 102–96 to a Mali team led by BAL star Aliou Diarra in the quarterfinals.

Ehab Amin (Al Ahly SC/EGYPT)

Egyptian star Ehab Amin delivered a stellar performance in Egypt’s first three Group D games in Luanda.

The Pharaohs advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2025 AfroBasket, and Amin, the 2023 BAL champion, left his mark on both ends of the floor.

The Al Ahly SC player did it all for Egypt, leading his country with team highs of 20 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.5 steals, and a 22.5 efficiency rating — the highest in the first three games of the tournament.

However, Egypt’s campaign ended following a 95-68 loss to Brice Bidias’s Cameroon in the quarterfinals. Bidias played a key role in helping Cameroon’s FAP reach the 2022 BAL semifinals and was named to the All-Defensive Team.

Caleb Agada (Al Ahly Tripoli/NIGERIA)

Caleb Agada, the 2025 BAL champion with Al Ahli Tripoli, was a driving force for Nigeria in the Angola 2025 showcase.

After playing a heroic role in Nigeria’s resurgence in the second round of the 2025 AfroBasket Qualifiers — bouncing back from a 0–3 record to finish 3–3 — Agada continued to play a pivotal role.

Nigeria dispatched Cameroon, Tunisia, and Madagascar, with Agada contributing an average of 14.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and two assists per game, earning him an efficiency rating of 16.

Nigeria's 2025 AfroBasket run ended with a 91–75 loss to Senegal in the quarterfinals.

Aliou Diarra (APR, FUS Rabat, Stade Malien/MALI)

In his first FIBA AfroBasket appearance, two-time Defensive Player of the Year Aliou Diarra made an immediate impact, displaying his dominance in the paint.

Coming off a great BAL season in which his APR team placed third, Diarra averaged 12.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 1.3 steals in Mali’s first three games.

His contributions were crucial to Mali’s qualification for the elimination round, but it was his performance in the quarterfinals against Côte d'Ivoire that had everyone talking about the three-season BAL player.

Diarra had a staggering performance, shooting 13-for-15 to finish with 35 points, 16 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks. His stellar performance established an AfroBasket efficiency record of 50!

Two-time BAL champion Solo Diabaté later admitted, "Aliou Diarra beat us."

Jean Jacques Boissy (Al Ahly Tripoli, AS Douanes/SENEGAL)

Just a few months have passed since Jean Jacques Boissy had a remarkable season, helping Libya’s Al Ahly Tripoli win the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) title. He has maintained the same rhythm in the AfroBasket tournament.

When Senegal needed him for the first four games of the African Championship, Boissy delivered, averaging 13.3 points, 4.8 assists, and three steals per game.

He was instrumental in Senegal's quarterfinal clash against his Al Ahly Tripoli teammate Caleb Agada's Nigeria. Senegal defeated Nigeria 91-75 in the 2025 AfroBasket quarterfinals, with Boissy contributing 21 points off the bench.

Childe Dundao (Petro de Luanda/ANGOLA)

Angola finished their undefeated Group C campaign. Petro de Luanda's Childe Dundao, the 2024 BAL champion, turned out to be the heart and soul of the eleven-time African champions.

Dundao stepped up heroically, leading Angola to a 66-64 victory over South Sudan in a nail-biting finish.

With his team-highs of 12.3 points, six assists, and a 13.7 efficiency rating, Dundao contributed massively, helping Angola reach the 2025 AfroBasket quarterfinals with a perfect 3-0 record.

However, it was in the decisive quarterfinal clash with Cape Verde that Dundao carried the entire nation on his shoulders. He scored a game-high 30 points to help Angola defeat Cape Verde 90-80.

Other BAL stars in the 2025 AfroBasket

Other BAL players who left their mark on the 2025 AfroBasket included 2022 champion Omar Abada, who saved Tunisia from premature elimination in the Group Phase.

APR’s Ntore Habimana led Rwanda in key game categories. Rolly Fula and Jonathan Jordan kept the Democratic Republic of Congo in contention until the round of 16. Brothers Joel and Ivan Almeida pushed Angola to the limit before Cape Verde fell to the 2025 AfroBasket hosts in a nerve-racking quarterfinal clash.

South Sudan's 2025 AfroBasket ended in the round of 16 with a 78–65 loss to Senegal, but not before former BAL MVPs Nuni Omot and Jo Lual Acuil made their mark on the tournament.