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After a third place finish the prior season, Dar es Salaam took first in the AAB Southern Conference standings at 103-59. This was a new franchise best for the Sabercats and their third playoff berth in four years. It was also their second time taking the #1 spot in the standings (1997). Dar es Salaam set still-standing conference pitching records for H/9 (6.93) and WHIP (1.066). The Sabercats had both the most runs scored (852) and fewest allowed (593) in the Southern Conference.


Reigning conference champ Antananarivo again took the second playoff spot at 92-70. The Eagles edged Durban by two games, Johannesburg by four, and Lilongwe by five. The Jackalopes saw their playoff streak end at five seasons. The good times officially ended the next season when they posted their first-ever losing season.

Lilongwe RF Felix Chaula won his third consecutive Southern Conference MVP. The 27-year old from Tanzania led in runs (128), home runs (64), OBP (.430), slugging (.739), OPS (1.169), wRC+ (211), and WAR (10.1). Chaula also had 172 hits, 118 RBI, and a .318 average.

Pitcher of the Year was Antananarivo lefty Seth Zoontjes. The 33-year old Dutchman was in his second year with the Eagles after a decade in the European Baseball Federation primarily as a closer. In his second year as a starter, he posted a 13-6 record over 199 innings, 2.89 ERA, 206 strikeouts, 144 ERA+, and 5.1 WAR. Zoontjes became one of a select few in any league to win a Pitcher of the Year as a starter and also a Reliever of the Year in his career.



Reigning AAB champ Kinshasa dominated the Central Conference again, setting a new franchise and conference best record at 108-54. The Sun Cats have been in the playoffs in all nine AAB seasons and six times have finished first in the standings.

There was a steep drop to the second place spot, which went to Kigali at 85-77. Not only was this the Guardians’ first-ever playoff berth, but they hadn’t won more than 64 games in their prior eight seasons. Kigali edged out Addis Ababa by one game, Kampala by two, and Bujumbura by four. Mogadishu, who won 102 games the prior year, dropped to sixth at 79-83.

Strengthening Kinshasa was a trade in the offseason with neighboring Brazzaville. The Sun Cats sent over three prospects to get two-time MVP and single-season home run king Mohau Sibiya. The 30-year old South African became a three-time MVP, leading in runs (131), homers (64), slugging (.734), OPS (1.144), wRC+ (196), and WAR (11.8). He also had 124 RBI and a .285 average. Sibiya ultimately went to free agency after being a rental for Kinshasa and signed a six-year, $17,200,000 deal with Antananarivo.

Lubumbashi’s Alemayehu Legesse won his second Pitcher of the Year in three years. The 30-year old Ethiopian righty led in WHIP (1.02) while adding an 18-11 record over 269.2 innings, 3.27 ERA, 250 strikeouts, and 6.7 WAR. Also of note, his Loggerheads teammate Rajab Hamadi became a three-time Reliever of the Year winner. The 28-year old Tanzanian had 34 saves, a 1.57 ERA, and 135 strikeouts in 69 innings.

In the Southern Conference Championship, Antananarivo upset Dar es Salaam 4-2, earning repeat pennants from the #2 spot in the standings. Kinshasa rolled as expected in the Central Conference Championship, taking it 4-1 against Kigali. The Sun Cats earned a seventh pennant in nine years, maintaining their dominance.



The ninth Africa Series saw Kinshasa’s dynasty continue with perhaps their strongest team of the bunch. In a rematch of the prior year, the Sun Cats bested Antananarivo 5-2. 1B Boubacar Mavinga had a big postseason, winning MVP of the conference finals and the Africa Series. The 36-year old Congolese slugger had 16 hits, 13 runs, 6 doubles, 6 homers, and 14 RBI over 11 starts.



On top of repeating as champion, Kinshasa earned a sixth title in seven years. They’re only the third franchise in any world league to take six in seven, Joining CABA’s Mexico City (1967-73), and SAB’s Ahmedabad (with nine titles between 1986-96). Although the Sun Cats would continue their conference control for two more years, this was the peak of the dynasty, as they wouldn’t win it all again until 2033. Kinshasa forever goes down as the first great AAB dynasty and arguably the most impressive, only later rivaled by Addis Ababa’s run from the mid 2000s to early 2010s.

Other notes: At 53-109, Lusaka posted a new Southern Conference worst record. This wouldn’t be topped until 2025. Cape Town’s Gabriel Rakotomamonjy became the second AAB batter to post a six-hit game. Boubacar Mavinga became the first to 1000 career RBI. Mohau Sibiya became the first to 400 home runs, joined two weeks later by Timeo Kahudi. SS Ian Dube won his seventh Gold Glove, a new AAB record. 1B Yugo Hattori became the second six-time Gold Glover. LF Marley Mubiru became the first to six Silver Sluggers