Libya’s Al-Ahli Tripoli broke new ground for African basketball by taking bronze at the 2025 FIBA Intercontinental Cup in Singapore.

The reigning Basketball Africa League (BAL) champions defeated Brazil’s Flamengo 91-82 in Sunday’s third-place playoff at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The victory marked the first time a BAL champion earned a medal at the global competition.

Boissy and Almeida lead scoring

Jean Jacques Boissy, the 2025 BAL Most Valuable Player, led Al-Ahli with 19 points. Ivan Almeida, who played for Cape Verde’s Kriol Stars in last season’s BAL, added 21. The duo provided the scoring punch that allowed Al-Ahli to pull away late against the Brazilian club.

The result capped a strong campaign for the Libyan side, who represented the BAL at the tournament following the league’s fifth season, which ended in June.

BAL milestone in global play

The bronze medal underscores the BAL’s growing presence in international basketball. Created in 2020, the league has quickly become a proving ground for African talent. Al-Ahli’s win provides the BAL with its most significant achievement yet on the Intercontinental Cup stage.