By JOE APU
Captain of Nigeria’s men’s national basketball team, Caleb Agada, has added a historic accolade to his career after leading Libya’s Al Ahli Tripoli to victory against Angola’s Petro de Luanda 88-67 in the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) Championship.
Al Ahly Tripoli clinched the coveted title on Saturday at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa, marking a groundbreaking moment as the first Libyan team to win the championship in BAL history.
The final, broadcast in 17 languages and reaching fans across 214 countries and territories, capped off the fifth season of the BAL, which also recorded an unprecedented attendance of 141,564 fans throughout the tournament.
Al Ahly Tripoli, newcomers to the competition this season, went an impressive 9-1 through the Nile Conference group phase in Kigali, Rwanda, and the playoffs—defeating Cape Verde’s KPA and Rwanda’s APR en route to the final. They also became the first team in league history to win both their conference and the championship in the same season.
Following the final, BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall and FIBA Africa President Anibal Manave presented the championship trophy to Alahli Tripoli. Forward Jean Jacques Boissy was named the 2025 BAL Most Valuable Player and received The Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy. Boissy, who averaged 18.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.2 steals, and 1.9 assists per game, was also named the league’s Scoring Champion and selected to both the All-BAL First Team and the All-BAL Defensive Team.
For the first time in BAL history, the champions also received championship rings—honoring a tradition popular in top global basketball leagues.
In the third-place match, Rwanda’s APR defeated Egypt’s Al Ittihad 123–90, setting a BAL record for the highest points scored in a single game.
The 2025 BAL Playoffs and Finals attracted several former NBA stars and African basketball legends, including Tracy McGrady, Boris Diaw, Luol Deng, Ian Mahinmi, Joakim Noah, Hasheem Thabeet, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, and Nigeria’s own Olumide Oyedeji.
Additionally, the league announced individual honors including Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and the Ubuntu Award, with selections made by a panel comprising fans, coaches, team captains, media, and scouts.
With Caleb Agada’s leadership and Al Ahly Tripoli’s dominance, the 2025 BAL season has etched its place in African basketball history.
Recall that Caleb Agada led Nigeria’s D’Tigers to a 3-0 win at the last Window of the AfroBasket Qualifiers in Tripoli, Libya defeating host Libya, Cape Verde and Uganda to qualify for the AfroBasket Final Round billed for August later this year.