Experienced giants and newcomers are set to battle it out in this year's playoffs.

Petro De Luanda arrive in Kigali as favorites, holding the record for most BAL games played with 45 appearances. They are also the only side in league history to have reached the semifinals in every edition between 2021 and 2025, finishing first, second twice, third and fourth respectively.

Al Ahly Tripoli continues chasing another continental crown after winning the competition in 2023. This marks Al Ahly’s third BAL appearance, making them Egypt’s most frequent representative in the competition ahead of Zamalek (two appearances) and Al Ittihad Alexandria (one appearance).

Rwanda’s hopes will rest on RSSB Tigers, who replaced APR earlier this season and secured qualification for the playoffs, making Rwanda the only nation to have 3 different clubs participate in the competition. Tigers head into the playoffs as the tournament’s highest-scoring team after registering 483 points in five games during the Kalahari Conference.

Other clubs heading to Kigali include Dar City, ASC Ville de Dakar, Club Africain and FUS Rabat,from Tanzania, Senegal, Tunisia and Libya respectively.

East African music stars including Bien and Joshua Baraka are scheduled to perform during halftime shows, with hotels and restaurants preparing for increased production as many fans arrive in Kigali