Petro de Luanda Triumphs in 2024 Basketball Africa League, Rivers Hoopers Secure Third Place
Angola’s Petro de Luanda triumphed over Libya’s Al Ahly Ly with a score of 107-94 to win the 2024 Basketball Africa League (BAL) Championship, held at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.
The victory marks a historic achievement as Petro de Luanda becomes the first sub-Saharan African team to win the BAL Finals, breaking the dominance of previous champions from Egypt and Tunisia. The event reached fans across 214 countries and territories in 17 languages.
Petro de Luanda, the 2022 BAL runner-up, showcased a stellar performance throughout the tournament. The team went 5-2 during the Kalahari Conference group phase in Pretoria, South Africa. They defeated Senegal’s AS Douanes in the quarterfinals and South Africa’s Cape Town Tigers in the semifinals to secure their place in the Finals.
Following the championship game, BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall and President of FIBA Africa Anibal Manave presented Petro de Luanda with the BAL Championship Trophy. Al Ahly Ly’s forward Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. received The Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy for the 2024 BAL Most Valuable Player and The Dikembe Mutombo Trophy for the 2024 BAL Defensive Player of the Year. Lual-Acuil Jr. also emerged as the 2024 BAL Scoring Champion, leading Al Ahly Ly with impressive per-game averages of 21.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks.
Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers claimed third place by defeating the Cape Town Tigers 80-57. Rivers Hoopers’ head coach Odaudu Ogoh was named the 2024 BAL Coach of the Year, leading his team to a 6-3 record during the Sahara Conference group phase in Dakar, Senegal, and the Playoffs. Additionally, Rivers Hoopers point guard Will Perry received The Manute Bol Trophy for sportsmanship and was named to the 2024 All-BAL First Team.
The 2024 All-BAL First Team includes:
- Point Guard: Will Perry (Rivers Hoopers)
- Guard: Samkelo Cele (Cape Town Tigers)
- Guard: Chris Crawford (US Monastir)
- Forward: Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. (Al Ahly Ly)
- Forward/Center: Aliou Diarra (FUS Rabat Basketball)
The 2024 All-BAL Defensive Team includes:
- Point Guard: Souleyman Diabate (Al Ahly Ly)
- Guard: Samkelo Cele (Cape Town Tigers)
- Guard: Abdoulaye Harouna (AS Douanes)
- Forward: Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. (Al Ahly Ly)
- Forward/Center: Aliou Diarra (FUS Rabat Basketball)
AS Douanes guard and team captain Alkaly Ndour received the 2024 BAL Ubuntu Award for his contributions to using basketball to positively impact youth in Senegal. Ndour, the founder of “Kayelennioufo,” a basketball tournament for amateur players in Dakar, was honored with the 2024 BAL Ubuntu Trophy during an on-court ceremony on May 25 in conjunction with Africa Day.
