The Egyptian Basketball Association has abolished the participation of professional players in the Associated League to give Egyptian players more opportunities, according to Mohamed Fathy, the association’s vice-president and competitions supervisor.
"The competition system was amended by cancelling the participation of the professional player, to give the Egyptian player a greater chance to appear, which will benefit the national teams," Fathy told FilGoal. The tournament will now be played on a home-and-away basis across four groups.
The Associated League begins on Friday, 18 September 2026, with the first legs of the preliminary round. Each tie involves both the senior men’s team and the associated under-16 side, with 16 clubs taking part. The competition will determine the first-round match-ups in the Super League, which qualifies for the African League, with teams’ positions in the Associated League used to establish the pairings.
The 16 clubs are Al Ahly, Al Ittihad Alexandria, Telecom Egypt, Zamalek, Petrojet, Sporting, Smouha, Al Gezira, El Qanah, Tala’ea El Gaish, Heliopolis, El Olympi, Ashab El Gehad, El Said, El Zohour and Damanhour Games, divided into four groups of four. In the preliminary phase, a team earns two points for winning both its men’s and under-16 associated matches, while the defeated side receives one point.
The winner of each group advances directly to the quarter-finals, with the second- and third-placed teams contesting home-and-away play-offs. Fathy explained that the second-placed team in Group One will meet the third-placed team in Group Three, with the winner advancing. Points difference, followed by goal difference, will separate tied teams, while the final will be replayed if the teams are level on points.
