The 2024 Basketball Africa League (BAL) season tipped off this weekend with a sold-out crowd on Saturday at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa.

In the Kalahari Conference group phase opener, first time participant Morocco’s FUS Rabat beat Angola’s Petro de Luanda 82-73 two-time BAL finalist, with four FUS players scoring in double figures.

In the second game of the opening night, Burundi’s Dynamo Basketball Club defeated South Africa’s Cape Town Tigers 86-73.

Top artists performed during the inaugural weekend of the Kalahari conference: Daliwonga & Musa Keys gave half time performances in front of an excited crowd.

Many other big South African artists will perform during the rest of the Kalahari event.

The BAL also held ancillary events: a Jr NBA clinic with more than 200 young players between 14-18yo; to celebrate International Women’s Day, BAL held a BAL 4 her event with 25 participants at the NBA office and a clinic, Her Time for Her To Play clinic with 200 participants in Soweto with the WNBA player Jewell Loyd.

Sunday’s action at the SunBet Arena tipped off with interactive community and fan events.

Special Olympics of South Africa (SOSA) and the BAL also held a basketball clinic with 40 SOSA athletes joined by FUS Rabat players, which was followed by a unified celebrity game featuring South African music artists and entertainers, and Special Olympics Ambassadors including Primo Baloyi, Pearl Thusi, Sho Majozi, Robot Boii and many more.

The four teams were coached by former NBA player Pops Mensah-Bonsu, two-time NBA All-Star Joakim Noah and two-time WNBA champion Jewell Loyd.

That evening, Petro de Luanda bounced back against the Tigers, defeating the home team 100-88 to improve to 1-1. The Tigers moved to 0-2.

The Kalahari Conference resumes on Tuesday, March 12.