Angola’s Petro win Basketball Africa, Cape Town Tigers end fourth

Angola’s Petro de Luanda defeated Libya’s Al Ahly Ly 107-94 to win the 2024 Basketball Africa League (BAL) Championship at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, on Sunday.

As a result of the win, Petro de Luanda, the 2022 BAL runners-up and one of two teams to have participated in all four seasons of the competition, are the first sub-Saharan African team to win the finals after previous champions from Egypt and Tunisia.

BAL president Amadou Gallo Fall and FIBA Africa president Anibal Manave presented the team with their trophy and Al Ahly Ly forward Jo Lual-Acuil Jnr with The Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy for winning the most valuable player award and The Dikembe Mutombo Trophy for winning the defensive player of the year. 

Petro de Luanda went 5-2 during the Kalahari Conference group phase in Pretoria and the playoffs, defeating Senegal’s AS Douanes and South Africa’s Cape Town Tigers in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, to advance to the finals. 

Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers beat Cape Town Tigers 80-57 in the third-place game on Friday.

Lual-Acuil Jnr was named BAL Scoring Champion and also featured in the 2024 All-BAL first team and All-BAL defensive team after leading Al Ahly Ly to a 5-4 record during the Nile Conference group phase in Cairo, Egypt, and the playoffs, recording per game averages of 21.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.

Several former NBA players attended games, including BAL ambassadors and NBA Africa investors Luol Deng (South Sudan), Ian Mahinmi (France; ties to Benin) and Joakim Noah (grandfather from Cameroon), 2015 NBA champion Festus Ezeli (Nigeria) and New York Knicks president of G league operations Pops Mensah-Bonsu (Ghana).

The event reached fans in 214 countries and territories in 17 languages.

Other 2024 BAL awards

Coach of the Year: Rivers Hoopers head coach Odaudu Ogoh led his team to a third-place finish with a 6-3 record during the Sahara Conference group phase in Dakar, Senegal, and the playoffs.

Sportsmanship Award: Rivers Hoopers point guard Will Perry received The Manute Bol Trophy for exemplifying the ideals of sportsmanship and camaraderie. Perry was also named to the 2024 All-BAL first team.

All-BAL first team: Point guard, Will Perry (Rivers Hoopers); guard, Samkelo Cele (Cape Town Tigers); guard, Chris Crawford (US Monastir); forward, Jo Lual-Acuil Jnr (Al Ahly Ly); forward/centre, Aliou Diarra (FUS Rabat)

All-BAL defensive team: Point guard, Souleyman Diabate (Al Ahly Ly), guard, Samkelo Cele (Cape Town Tigers); guard, Abdoulaye Harouna (AS Douanes); forward, Jo Lual-Acuil Jnr (Al Ahly Ly); forward-centre, Aliou Diarra (FUS Rabat)

Ubuntu award: AS Douanes guard and team captain Alkaly Ndour won this award in recognition of his ongoing efforts to use the game of basketball to positively impact the lives of youth in his native Senegal.

HeraldLIVE/Basketball Africa League