Top seeds Ittihad survive FUS scare to reach BAL semis, Al Ahli also through
No 1 seeds Al Ittihad Alexandria needed to overcome emotion, uncertainty, and nerve-racking moments to stay in contention in the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) playoffs.
The Egyptian giants needed an extra five minutes to defeat a team they had demolished twice during the 2025 Kalahari Conference, prevailing 86—83 in their quarterfinal against FUS Rabat at Sunbet Arena in Pretoria on Sunday night in overtime in a game that could have gone either way.
For the second time this season, Al Ittihad escaped with a three-point victory under similar circumstances to their 72-69 win over Stade Malien.
In both games, Ittihad never led by more than 10 points — a rarity considering their dominance throughout the regular season.
Nisre Zouzoua extended Rabat's season by five minutes with his three-pointer that tied the game at 74—74 with two seconds left.
WHAT. A. WILD. GAME 😱
Al Ittihad wins by 3 to reach the semi-finals! 🤯 @castlelitesa Game Summary! #BAL5 pic.twitter.com/X2WMyoKQuX
— Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) June 8, 2025
However, in the remaining five minutes, the Moroccan champions shot themselves in the foot. They shot 2-for-7 from the floor, made just 3 of their 8 free throws, and turned the ball over twice.
With their BAL season on the line — having lost the 2025 Egyptian League title to Al Ahly SC the previous week — Al Ittihad capitalised on Rabat's mistakes, delivering the final blow and securing their spot in the semifinals in just their first season.
In the process, the Alexandria-based club improved their season record to 8—0.
'This is a wake-up call for us. I'm just glad this wake-up call came early in the quarterfinals. It's a good reminder to stay focused,' said Al Ittihad forward Youssef Aboushousha.
Sunday's game was nothing like the previous two, in which Al Ittihad outscored FUS 71-60 and 98-74.
HEAD AT THE RIM 🔥🔥🔥 @FlyRwandAir Dunk of the Game! #BAL5 pic.twitter.com/ApMSc8Om0C
— Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) June 8, 2025
'That's what the BAL is all about. Last year, it was either the fifth or sixth seed that made it to the finals,' said FUS Rabat guard Jonathan Jordan, who led all players in scoring with 23 points.
'We had to find a way to finish the game. A lot of that responsibility falls on me as the point guard and primary scorer. You have to be big in big moments like these.'
Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. and Kyle Vinales each scored 16 points. Lual-Acuil Jr. also grabbed 11 rebounds, earning his second double-double of the playoffs.
Majok Deng came off the bench to add 15 points, reminding everyone of his productivity throughout the season.
Aboushousha said Ittihad must stay humble if they are to become the third Egyptian team to win the league title in five seasons.
'Some media outlets say we are the best team in Africa, but other teams can have a good game on a given night and eliminate you. That's the BAL,' said the Egyptian international.
WHITE Jr DOES IT ALL!! 🤯🤯🤯 #BAL5 pic.twitter.com/dQBeVvKTRM
— Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) June 8, 2025
Al Ittihad meet the winner of Monday's quarterfinal between US Monastir and Petro de Luanda in the semifinals.
In Sunday's earlier quarterfinal, Kriol Star did everything they could to contain Fabian White Jnr, but the Al-Ahli Tripoli forward was unstoppable.
It was a do-or-die game for both teams, but Al Ahli Tripoli secured the first ticket to the 2025 BAL semifinals beating Kriol Star 107—81, becoming the second Libyan team since Al Ahly Ly to reach the Last Four.
White Jnr shot from every corner of the floor, blocked shots, created scoring opportunities for his teammates, and disrupted Kriol Star's offense in various ways.
He finished with a 39-efficiency rating thanks to his 34 points, 13 rebounds, one assist, and one block, helping Al Ahli improve to 7-1.
White Jnr's teammate Assem Marei, who sat out their seeding game loss to Al Ittihad Alexandria and scored the opening basket with a rotation over Lewis Uvwo, contributed hugely, finishing with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
The Libyan champions looked nothing like the team that appeared powerless for most of their 85-74 loss to Al Ittihad 48 hours earlier.
In fact, Fouad Abou Chakra's team stepped onto the floor with desperation, never trailing throughout the game.
Our defence was tight and locked, and we were ready to hoop today. That's how we won the game
Fabian White Jnr
One of Kriol's strongest assets, three-point shooting, was nonexistent for most of the game. They shot 3-for-24 from deep; their third and final three-pointer came at the final buzzer from Luis Teixeira.
Joel Ntambwe led the Creoles in scoring with 25 points. Jalan McCloud added 19, and Joel and Ivan Almeida each contributed 16 in the losing effort.
One of the biggest differences between the two teams was the contribution of their benches, with Al Ahli Tripoli outscoring Kriol Star 26-3.
White Jnr explained to BAL.NBA.com how he delivered an incredible performance.
'Our defence was tight and locked, and we were ready to hoop today. That's how we won the game,' he said.
The loss marks the end of the 2025 BAL season for Kriol Star while Al Ahli Tripoli take on the winner of Monday's quarter Rivers Hoopers and APR.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

The Herald
36 minutes ago
- The Herald
Petro de Luanda reach BAL semis for fifth time in a row, APR also through
Thanks to Patrick Gardner's lethal plays, Petro de Luanda reached the semifinals of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) for the fifth consecutive season with their 95-84 win against US Monastir at SunBet Arena in Pretoria on Monday night. No other team in the league's history has reached such a milestone. The Angolan champions needed to bounce back from their loss in the seeding game to APR two days earlier. Beating Monastir, the Tunisian side they had lost to three times in their previous four encounters, was essential. Monastir and Petro traded blows early in the game. However, when the reigning champions used a 12-0 scoring run to close the opening quarter with a 12-point lead (28-16), there was little the 2022 BAL champions could do to retake the lead. Gardner shot 5-for-9 from the floor, including 3-for-5 from deep, to finish with 14 points. His teammate Kendrick Ray led all players in scoring with 20 points.


The South African
4 hours ago
- The South African
Orlando Pirates new head coach news: Florent Ibenge the one?
Orlando Pirates are on the brink of unveiling a new head coach following the sudden departure of José Riveiro to Egyptian giants Al Ahly. The club has kept its cards close to its chest, refusing to confirm or deny ongoing speculation, but behind the scenes, the coaching search has intensified. A source has revealed that agents have offered highly-rated Congolese coach Florent Ibenge to Orlando Pirates. While interest around the former CAF Confederation Cup winner is heating up, no formal approach has been made by the Buccaneers yet. As of yesterday, Ibenge remains under contract with Sudanese powerhouse Al Hilal but has not signed any extension, leaving the door wide open for a potential move. Ibenge poured cold water on swirling rumours but did little to close the door. 'Look, Micky… everything is still rumours for now,' Florent told Micky Jnr, African social media journalist. Pressed further about his future with Al Hilal, he added. 'You'll know in (a) few days' time.' The urgency within the club is mounting, as Pirates prepare for a European pre-season tour. The squad is scheduled to jet off to Germany in the first week of July. And the technical team is keen to have a new head coach installed before then. 'The team is expected to leave for pre-season in Germany during the first week of July. So they are planning to have the new coach by that time as part of their pre-season,' revealed a club insider. With time ticking and speculation swirling, all eyes are now on Orlando Pirates. Will they swoop in for Ibenge, or does the Bucs' management have a different ace up their sleeve? Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.

TimesLIVE
6 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Petro de Luanda reach BAL semis for fifth time in a row, APR also through
Thanks to Patrick Gardner's lethal plays, Petro de Luanda reached the semifinals of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) for the fifth consecutive season with their 95-84 win against US Monastir at SunBet Arena in Pretoria on Monday night. No other team in the league's history has reached such a milestone. The Angolan champions needed to bounce back from their loss in the seeding game to APR two days earlier. Beating Monastir, the Tunisian side they had lost to three times in their previous four encounters, was essential. Monastir and Petro traded blows early in the game. However, when the reigning champions used a 12-0 scoring run to close the opening quarter with a 12-point lead (28-16), there was little the 2022 BAL champions could do to retake the lead. Gardner shot 5-for-9 from the floor, including 3-for-5 from deep, to finish with 14 points. His teammate Kendrick Ray led all players in scoring with 20 points. Babacar Sané takes flight ✈️ @FlyRwandAir Dunk of the Game! #BAL5 — Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) June 9, 2025 Yanick Moreira was dominant in the paint, finishing with 15 points and five rebounds, despite picking up three early fouls. This forced Petro coach Sergio Moreno to protect Moreira from an early exclusion from the game. Gardner's two consecutive three-pointers in the first quarter paved the way for Petro's control of the game. And, limiting the Tunisian giants' actions on both ends of the floor by forcing Acuil Deng, Babacar Sane and Osiris Eldridge into foul trouble early on was key for Petro. Sane caused Petro de Luanda some discomfort on offence and finished with 14 points before fouling out early in the fourth quarter. Monastir were eliminated in the quarterfinals for the second consecutive season, while Petro, who they defeated in the 2022 BAL Final, remain in contention. A classy performance by Kendrick Ray ✨ @visitrwanda_now Player of the Game! #BAL5 — Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) June 9, 2025 Patrick Hardy Jnr and Firas Lahyani combined for 32 points for US Monastir, but Petro's aggressiveness and sense of urgency on both ends of the floor were tough to deal with. Childe Dundao, who played only five minutes off the bench in Petro's 75-57 loss to APR, was one of three new starters, with Samkelo Cele and Patrick Gardner. Dundao shot 3-for-6, including 2-for-4 from behind the arc, and finished with 10 points and six assists. He told 'This Petro de Luanda team is a group of warriors and everyone knows our goal for this BAL season. We can't afford to get comfortable. We will keep fighting no matter the circumstances. 'We can't be judged solely on our loss in the seeding game. To bounce back, we needed to lock in defensively, which is what we did to beat Monastir.' Petro face Egyptian side Al Ittihad Alexandria in the later of the two semifinals on Wednesday (7pm). Just perfect 😮💨 Rivers Hoopers 🇳🇬 vs APR 🇷🇼 Mini-Movie! #BAL5 — Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) June 9, 2025 Dundao shared his thoughts on the Egyptian champions, saying: 'Al Ittihad is a good team, but we have a goal to accomplish. We're taking it one game at a time.' For the second time in the history of the BAL, a Rwandan team has reached the semifinals, APR beating Rivers Hoopers 104—73 in Monday's earlier quarterfinal. Patriots Basketball Club was the first Rwandan team to reach the last four in the inaugural BAL season in 2021. The Rwandan champions displayed complete dominance from start to finish and never trailed, registering the largest winning margin in the 2025 playoffs. They became the second team to cross the 100-point mark after Al Ahli Tripoli outscored Kriol Star 107- 81. APR played aggressively on defence and efficiently on offence, taking a 25-point lead (57-32) at half time. The Rwandan side meet Al Ahli Tripoli in Wednesday's earlier semifinal (4pm).