The Alahli Tripoli of Libya, defeated Angola’s Petro de Luanda 88-67 to win the 2025 Basketball Africa League Championship, which took place at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa.
The Basketball Africa League (BAL) event reached fans in 214 countries and territories in 17 languages.
Alahli Tripoli, which made its Basketball Africa League (BAL) debut this season, is the first team from Libya to win the (BAL) Championship.
A record 141,564 fans attended games over the course of the BAL’s milestone fifth season.
Following the game, Basketball Africa League’s President Amadou Gallo Fall and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Africa President, Anibal Manave presented Alahli Tripoli with the ​Basketball Africa League (BAL​) Championship Trophy.
The Alahli Tripoli forward, Jean Jacques Boissy, was awarded with The Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy for winning the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL)’s Most Valuable Player Award.
For the first time in BAL history, the 2025 champions received championship rings following a tradition long associated with global basketball excellence.
Alahli Tripoli went 9-1 during the Nile Conference group phase in Kigali, Rwanda, and the Playoffs, defeating Cape Verde’s Kriol Star and Rwanda’s Army soccer team (APR) in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, to advance to the Finals.
Alahli Tripoli is the first team in league history to win both its conference and the championship in the same season. APR defeated Egypt’s Al Ittihad 123–90 in the third-place game yesterday, setting a league record for the most points scored in a single game.
Boissy is also the 2025 BAL Scoring Champion and was named to the 2025 All-BAL First Team and the 2025 All-BAL Defensive Team, recording per game averages of 18.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 1.9 assists.
Several former N​ational Basketball Association players attended games during the 2025 BAL Playoffs and Finals, including 2014 NBA champion Boris Diaw (France; ties to Senegal), seven-time NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady (U.S.), BAL Ambassadors and NBA Africa investors Luol Deng (South Sudan), Ian Mahinmi (France; ties to Benin) and Joakim Noah (grandfather from Cameroon).
The 2015 FIBA AfroBasket champion Olumide Oyedeji (Nigeria), former NBA player Hasheem Thabeet (Tanzania) and former NBA player and Olympian Pops Mensah-Bonsu (Ghana), were also present.
The BAL has also announced the Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Sportsmanship Award winner, All-BAL First Team, All-BAL Defensive Team, and Ubuntu Award winner. The voting panels varied for each award and comprised fans, coaches, team captains, media, broadcasters, and scouts.
2025 BAL Coach of the Year
Alahli Tripoli head coach Abou Chacra Joseph Fouad led his team to a BAL Championship with a 9-1 record during the Nile Conference group phase and the Playoffs.
2025 Defensive Player of the Year
Rwanda’s APR center Aliou Diarra won The Dikembe Mutombo Trophy as the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year. Diarra led APR to a 6-4 record during the Nile Conference group phase, and the Playoffs, averaging 17.4 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks in 10 games this season.
He is the first player in league history to win the award twice, having previously received the honor in 2023 with Stade Malien (Mali). Diarra was also named to the All-BAL First Team.
2025 BAL Sportsmanship Award
Petro de Luanda (Angola) guard Souleyman Diabate received The Manute Bol Trophy for exemplifying the ideals of sportsmanship and camaraderie.