The last two semifinal tickets go to! - Quarterfinals PREVIEW

Al Ittihad Alexandria and Al Ahli Tripoli secured the first two spots in the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) semifinals on Sunday. Who will secure the last two spots on Monday.

In the first quarterfinal, the Rivers Hoopers of Nigeria will take on the Rwandan champions, APR, at 4:00 p.m. (Pretoria time). Then, at 7:00 p.m. (local time), US Monastir will go up against the reigning champions, Petro de Luanda.

Can the Hoopers prevail over APR again?

When the Hoopers and the APR faced off during the 2024 Sahara Conference in Dakar, Senegal, the Hoopers won both games, with scores of 86–82 and 78–71, respectively.

It was a disappointing season for APR in their debut, as they missed the BAL postseason on their home court.

Meanwhile, the Hoopers went on to finish third, their best result in BAL history.

Both teams have evolved since then, and they arrived in Pretoria with relatively different results.

APR finished 3-3 in the 2025 Nile Conference on their home court, while the Rivers Hoopers finished second (4-2) in the 2025 Kalahari Conference in Rabat, Morocco.

Monday’s matchup will feature an APR team that stunned Petro de Luanda with a 75-57 victory, while the Rivers Hoopers started their postseason campaign with a loss to US Monastir, 89-81.

Nuni Omot, the 2023 BAL MVP, was crucial in helping APR defeat the reigning champions. What makes the Rwandan champions dangerous is their frontcourt, led by Aliou Diarra and Youssou Ndoye.

Rivers Hoopers may see themselves as underdogs, but this is a team that can’t be overlooked, especially if shooting guard Madut Akec, power forward Peter Oliisemeka, Kelvin Amayo, and Raphael Putney find their rhythm.

The winner of this quarterfinal matchup will take on Al Ahli Tripoli.

US Monastir vs Petro de Luanda

Monday’s second quarterfinal matchup is a familiar one for BAL fans.

US Monasir and Petro de Luanda, the 2022 and current BAL champions, will face off.

Over the last four seasons, the teams have faced off four times, with US Monasir holding a 3–1 head-to-head advantage.

The first time the teams faced off was in the 2022 BAL final in Kigali, where the Tunisian giants prevailed 83-72.

Two years later, in 2024, US Monastir shocked Petro de Luanda 70–67 at the buzzer with a three-pointer by Firas Lahyani in the seeding game.

Petro de Luanda regrouped, however, and eventually won the 2024 BAL title, while US Monastir fell in the quarterfinals against the Rivers Hoopers.

Last month in Dakar, during the 2025 Sahara Conference, the teams shared one win apiece, leaving US Monastir with a 3–1 head-to-head advantage.

At first glance, US Monastir (5-2) seems to be the favorite against Petro de Luanda (3-4), who has continued to experience ups and downs throughout the season.

The winner of the quarterfinal game between US Monastir and Petro de Luanda will advance to the semifinals to play Al Ittihad Alexandria.