March 26, 2026
Players to watch at the 2026 Kalahari Conference
)
A thorough look at the rosters for the 2026 Kalahari Conference reveals a host of proven stars, making Pretoria the place to watch.
The list goes on from BAL MVPs and champions, newcomers, record holders to BAL debutantes. But we've picked twelve players you definitely must watch at the 2026 Kalahari Conference.
Donovan Williams (Al Ahly Ly)
The 6-foot-6 guard has three years of professional experience, split between the NBA, the G League and the Summer League.
Primarily a scorer, Donovan Williams played for three G League teams — the Westchester Knicks, the Santa Cruz Warriors and the Long Island Nets — averaging 18.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.9 steals in 29.5 minutes per game across 108 games.
The 24-year-old played for the Atlanta Hawks in the 2022–23 season.
This is Williams’s first BAL experience.
David Michineau (Dar City)
Michineau is regarded as a reliable playmaker with the ability to score and provide vocal defence.
The 31-year-old represented the French men’s team in the 2023 World Cup European Qualifiers and the 2021 EuroBasket Qualifiers.
Having played most of his professional career in Europe, Dar City lured the 1.91 m guard to experience African basketball for the first time.
Prior to joining Dar City, Michineau enjoyed a brief stint with AS Monaco, but it was in Turkey that he truly made his mark, spending two productive seasons with Bursaspor.
During the 2024–25 Turkish Super Lig season, he averaged 14.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
Jean Jacques Boissy (Al Ahly Ly)
Jean Jacques Boissy, one of the two BAL players in the current season to have won the league’s MVP award alongside Jo Lual Acuil, has established himself as one of the league’s household names thanks to his scoring prowess.
The last twelve months have been career-changing for the 26-year-old shooting guard. Not only did Boissy help Al Ahly Tripoli win the 2025 BAL title, but he also played a huge role in Senegal’s third-place finish at the 2025 AfroBasket. He also had a brief stint in the G League with the Windy City Bulls. Boissy is expected to continue making an impact with the Al Ahly Ly in Pretoria.
He is primarily known for his scoring ability, with much of his success coming from behind the arc.
Junior Madut (Dar City)
If you leave Madut open, chances are he won’t miss an opportunity to score, whether he's near or far from the basket.
A reliable shooter, Madut is a 1.96m shooting guard who has represented South Sudan on the international stage. He is set to make his BAL debut.
Before joining debutants Dar City, Madut played in Kosovo.
Teafale Lenard Jr. (RSSB Tigers)
The 2.02m small forward made quite an impression in the league when he made his BAL debut with South Africa’s MBB last season.
A versatile player with an impressive scoring ability, he set a new BAL career high by finishing with 39 points in a 102–73 loss to Al Ahli Tripoli. He can do it all at both ends of the court.
Axel Mpoyo (RSSB Tigers)
Axel Mpoyo made headlines with his record-breaking ten three-pointers in the 2025 BAL third-place play-off.
He had eight three-pointers in the first half of that game and went on to make two more, helping APR beat Al Ittihad Alexandria 123–90 in the highest-scoring BAL game ever.
Mpoyo, who has represented Rwanda internationally on numerous occasions, is also a strong defender.
Nino Dim (Johannesburg Giants)
After playing a supporting role in his BAL debut last season, Nino Dim is set to be one of the Johannesburg Giants' key players.
If Dim maintains his form from the Road to BAL qualifiers, the Giants and South African basketball have reason to be optimistic.
Dim improved his performance, increasing his average points per game from 1.2 in the 2025 BAL to 14 during the qualifiers.
Albert Odero (City Thunder)
For fans of the NBA from the 1990s, Alberto Odero might bring back memories of Latrell Sprewell, thanks to his ability to finish with ferocious dunks.
Odero's energetic playing style proved valuable in his BAL debut, with him averaging 14 points per game.
Before returning to the City Thunder for this BAL season, Odero played for the RSSB Tigers, a team he will face in the 2026 Kalahari Conference.
Jo Lual Acuil (Al Ahly Ly)
Jo Lual Acuil made a banging debut in the BAL. He not only scooped the 2024 BAL MVP award, but also won the BAL Defensive Player of the Year award.
At 6'11", Acuil is one of the most recognisable faces in African basketball, not only because he is a key member of the South Sudanese national team, but also because of the all-round role he plays for his teams.
Two seasons ago, he set a BAL record by scoring 42 points in a 110–78 win against the City Oilers.
Childe Dundao (Petro de Luanda)
Childe Dundao is entering his sixth consecutive season in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) as the reigning AfroBasket Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Despite being one of the shortest players in BAL history at 5'6", he is a dynamic point guard who controls Petro de Luanda's game at both ends of the court.
Dundao has taken his game to another level, most notably in his three-point shooting and decision-making.
Pieter Prinsloo (Johannesburg Giants)
Pieter Prinsloo may not be the most mobile player in the Giants' line-up, but when it comes to shooting from outside and playing physically in the paint, the 6'10" giant is in a class of his own.
The former MBB star player set a career-high of 30 points in a 75–74 win over the Nairobi City Thunder last season.
The South African international is entering his fourth BAL season.
Petro de Luanda remained loyal to their recruitment policy by signing Peter Jok, a sharpshooter.
The 6'5" shooting guard poses a constant threat to opponents thanks to his long-range shooting ability.
He can help Petro de Luanda overcome their occasional and worrying scoring struggles, which in the past saw them look for answers elsewhere.