The BAL Sahara Conference will be comprised of four newcomers - Senegal’s Dakar Universite Club (DUC), Guinea’s Seydou Legacy Athletique Club (SLAC), Mozambique’s Clube Ferroviario da Beira (CVF) and Rwanda Energy Group (REG).

Returning teams, Morocco’s Association Sportive Salé (AS Salé) and Tunisia’s Union Sportive Monastirienne (US Monastir), make up the final two spaces in the conference.

The other conference, the BAL Nile Conference, consists of debutants from the Democratic Republic of Congo in BC Espoir Fukash, South Africa’s Cape Town Tigers and South Sudan’s Cobra Sports Club.

Egypt’s defending champions Zamalek, Cameroon’s Forces Armeés et Police Basketball (FAP) and Angola’s Clube Atlético Petroleos de Luanda are coming back to complete the conference and the overall league.

The teams from Angola, Egypt, Morocco, Rwanda, and Tunisia earned their spot through winning their national leagues.

The other six sides qualified via the road to BAL 2022 tournaments held between October and December 2021.

"We are thrilled to welcome seven new teams and four new countries into the second season of the BAL," BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall said.

He added: "We are excited that more fans will have an opportunity to watch the games live in three world-class African cities."

The opening match between DUC and SLAC on March 5 will be the first of 38 games taking place across the three-month season in the Senegalese, Egyptian and Rwandan capitals of Dakar, Cairo, and Kigali.

Dakar will host the Sahara Conference group at the Dakar Arena on March 15.

The Cairo-based Hassan Mostafa Indoor Sports Complex will hold the Niro Conference from April 9 to 19.

The top four teams from either conference at the end will qualify for the BAL playoffs and finals, due to be played in the Kigali Arena.

The tournament will be single elimination and is set to be played between May 21 and 28.

"We are excited for the tip-off of this highly anticipated season two of the BAL," said Anibal Manave, Federation International Basketball Association Africa and BAL Board President.

"The Road to BAL 2022, which was successfully completed at the end of last year, provided fans with some exciting close games and captivating action.

"We are optimistic that this expanded BAL season will be a huge success."