Your guide to the 2026 Sahara Conference

After fifteen games in the 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL) season, which began last month in Pretoria, South Africa, the competition moves north for the Sahara Conference.

Rabat, the capital of Morocco, will host the BAL Sahara Conference from 24 April to 3 May.

This article provides all the information you need about the 2026 BAL Sahara Conference.

Which teams will be competing in the 2026 Sahara Conference?

In addition to the home team, FUS Rabat, the five visiting teams are Al Ahly SC (Egypt), Club Africain (Tunisia), ASC Ville de Dakar (Senegal), Maktown Flyers (Nigeria) and JCA Kings (Côte d'Ivoire).

Club Africain, Maktown Tigers and JCA Kings are making their first appearance in the league. FUS Rabat are returning for the third consecutive time. ASC Ville de Dakar are appearing in the BAL for the second time, while Al Ahly SC are the only team in the 2026 Sahara Conference to have previously won the league.

When and where is the 6-team Sahara Conference taking place?

The games will take place at the iconic Salle Moulay Abdellah in the Moroccan capital city of Rabat from Thursday, 24 April to Sunday, 3 May. The 10,000-capacity venue is adjacent to the football ground of the same name, which hosted the 2026 Afcon Final.

Competition System

The six teams will compete in a round-robin system over eight game-days. There will be two double-headers on most days, except on 28 April when only one game will take place. Teams will have two rest days on 27 and 30 April. 

The top four teams in the conference will advance to the 2026 BAL Playoffs in May, where they will join four other teams from the Kalahari Conference. Teams that finish at the bottom of the conference will see their season come to an end.

How to watch the 2026 Sahara Conference games

Fans can attend the 2026 BAL season in person by buying tickets on the BAL.NBA.com website. 

Alternatively, they can watch the season live and on demand via official NBA digital platforms, including the NBA app, NBA.com, the BAL YouTube channel and TheBAL.com, as well as through the league’s business partners.

Matchups to watch in Rabat

With its evenly-balanced teams, the 15-game Sahara Conference schedule is set to feature some thrilling games, but the final between hosts FUS Rabat and Al Ahly SC is definitely a MUST-WATCH.

When the two sides last faced off during the 2024 season, FUS Rabat emerged victorious with a 89–78 win at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.

Get to know the head coaches in the 2026 Sahara Conference

Five of the six head coaches in the 2026 Sahara Conference have previously coached in the African basketball scene, be it at club or national team level. 

Spaniard Antonio Pérez Cainzos, who took his Club Africain coaching last September, is making his debut at a major African competition. Cainzos is set to become the fourth Spanish head coach in the BAL, following in the footsteps of two-time champion Agustín Julbe (Zamalek in 2021 and Al-Ahly SC in 2023 and 2024), Luis Hernández (Ferroviário da Beira in 2022 and 2023) and Sergio Valdeolmillos (Petro de Luanda in 2024, 2025 and 2026).

Former Nigerian international Abdulrahman Mohammed, who had several stints as the head coach of Nigeria Men's team in recent times, is at the helm of the Maktown Flyers. Mohammed replaced Michael Ikima, who led the team to the 2025 national championship. Ikima remains a member of the coaching staff. 

JCA Kings Head Coach Stephane Konate won the 2005 FIBA Africa Champions title with the Ivorian side ABC, while also winning MVP honours. Having featured for the ABC Fighters in the 2024 BAL season, Konate will become the first former BAL player to coach a team in the league.

Moustapha Gaye, who served as one of ASC Ville de Dakar's assistant coaches during the 2025 BAL season, has now stepped in as the head coach.  

A two-time Women’s AfroBasket champion with Senegal, Coach Gaye has been involved in African basketball for over two decades. 

At the international level, he coached Senegal at the 2016 Women’s Olympic Tournament in Rio de Janeiro, but before that Gaye was at the helm of Senegal at the 2006 World Cup and then led own country at the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China.

Said El Bouzidi will be calling plays from the sidelines for FUS Rabat. The 58-year-old tactician has plenty of experience in the BAL, having previously coached in the league in 2021, 2024 and 2025.

Having led his former Moroccan team AS Sale to victory in the 2017 FIBA Africa Champions Cup, Said El Bouzidi's masterful coaching style could be pivotal for FUS Rabat this time around.

Greek-Cypriot Linos Gavriel is the man at the helm of Al Ahly SC. He made his mark on African basketball in the 2010s by coaching the Tunisian team Etoile Sportive de Rades to second place in the 2014 FIBA Africa Champions Cup, which was held in Tunisia. 

The previous year, the 51-year-old Gavriel had led another Tunisian team, Etoile Sportive du Sahel, to second place in the same competition.

Gavriel led Bahraini side Manama Club to the title of the 2023 FIBA West Asia Super League. 

Prediction

This is one of the most unpredictable conferences we have ever seen. This is due to the evenly balanced nature of the teams, but one team with huge potential to finish in the top four is undoubtedly Egyptian champions Al Ahly SC.