Maktown Flyers coach upbeat ahead BAL debut

Head coach of Maktown Flyers, Nigeria’s representative at this season’s Basketball Africa League, Abdulrahman Mohammed, has expressed strong belief in his squad’s potential as they prepare for their debut in the tournament, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Maktown Flyers will begin their campaign in the Sahara Conference group phase against JCA Kings on Saturday at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex.

A club team from 12 African countries, playing a total of 42 games across the conference phases. The Kalahari Conference group phase will be held from March 27 to April 5 in Pretoria, while the Sahara Conference will run until May 3.

Despite acknowledging that most of his players are yet to gain exposure at BAL level, Mohammed, who previously worked as an assistant coach with Rivers Hoopers, remains optimistic about their chances.

“While experience is valuable, the desire to succeed on such a big stage can often bridge the gap and push teams beyond expectations,” Mohammed said.

“A major focus for the team in the build-up to the tournament has been building chemistry among players recruited from different leagues and cultural backgrounds. With just a few weeks to prepare, it has been a challenging process, but there is satisfaction with the progress made on both ends of the court.”

Leveraging his experience as a former international and a coach with Nigeria’s D’Tigers, Mohammed has emphasised mental toughness and resilience. He has consistently urged his players to compete with heart and pride, reminding them of the honour that comes with representing their team on a continental platform.

This season, national league champions from seven countries—Angola, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia—automatically qualified for the BAL. The other five teams qualified through the Road to BAL tournaments conducted by FIBA Africa across the continent from October to December 2025.

Each conference will feature a 15-game group phase, during which each team will face the other five teams in its conference once. Eight teams from across the two conferences will qualify for the playoffs in Kigali.