- Four teams have secured their spots in the Basketball Africa League (BAL 2025) semifinals after advancing from the quarterfinals.
- Petro de Luanda of Angola will face Al Ittihad on June 11, 2025, at SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa.
- Meanwhile, APR Rwanda, making their maiden semifinal appearance, will take on Libya’s Al Ahly Tripoli – the two sides meeting for the third time this season.
For the fifth consecutive time, Petro de Luanda of Angola has secured a spot in the semifinals of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), cementing their legacy as the only team in the league’s history to achieve such a remarkable feat.
The Angolan champions were compelled to bounce back from a seeding game defeat to APR just two days earlier.
Their 95–84 win over US Monastir on Monday evening at SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa, was crucial.
This victory was particularly significant, as they had fallen to Monastir in three of their last four encounters.
Meanwhile, US Monastir’s 11-point loss sealed their elimination in the quarterfinals for a second straight season.
Ironically, the same Monastir side had defeated Petro in the 2022 BAL Final. This time, however, Petro de Luanda remains firmly in the title hunt.
Patrick Gardner played a pivotal role with his efficient shooting going 5-for-9 from the field and 3-for-5 from beyond the arc to contribute 14 points.
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Kendrick Ray led all scorers with 20 points, while Yanick Moreira asserted his dominance in the paint, posting 15 points and five rebounds, despite dealing with early foul trouble.
Coach Sergio Valdeolmillos Moreno had to strategically manage Moreira’s minutes to avoid an early exit.
Gardner’s two successive three-pointers in the opening quarter helped establish Petro’s control over the game.
Now with momentum on their side, Petro will clash with Al Ittihad of Egypt in Wednesday’s semifinals.
Al Ittihad secured their semifinal berth after a thrilling 86–83 overtime victory against FUS Rabat.
The contest was neck-and-neck, and while Omar Soliman’s squad appeared to have the edge in regulation, Nisre Zouzoua forced overtime with a clutch three-pointer that tied the game 74–74 with just two seconds on the clock.
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APR continue championship pursuit
Elsewhere, history was made as a Rwandan team APR advanced to the BAL semifinals for only the second time in the league’s history.
The Patriots Basketball Club were the first Rwandan team to reach the penultimate stage during the inaugural BAL season in 2021.
On Monday, APR overwhelmed Rivers Hoopers 104-73 at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, setting up a showdown with Al Ahly Tripoli on Wednesday.
The Rwandan champions dictated the tempo from the opening tip and never relinquished their lead, securing the largest margin of victory in the 2025 playoffs.
APR also became the second team to surpass the 100-point mark, following Al Ahly Tripoli’s 107-81 demolition of Kriol Star.
APR’s high-pressure defense forced the Hoopers into multiple shot-clock violations early in the game, establishing an unrelenting rhythm.
James Edward Maye Jr.’s side, making their maiden semifinal appearance, will face Libya’s Al Ahly Tripoli, who were the first team to secure a semifinal berth after their resounding 107-81 win over Kriol Star.
Tripoli now joins Al Ahly Ly as the second Libyan team to reach the final four.
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This will be the third meeting between APR and Tripoli this season, following their Nile Conference clashes, where Tripoli prevailed in both encounters (106-102 and 90-68).
BAL 2025 Semifinal Fixtures – June 11, 2025
- Al Ahli Tripoli vs APR – 4:00 PM Local Time / 5:00 PM EAT
- Al Ittihad vs Petro de Luanda – 7:00 PM Local Time / 8:00 PM EAT
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