4 days ago
Al Ahly Tripoli qualify for BAL finals with record-breaking run
Kigali, Rwanda – Libyan basketball club Al Ahly Tripoli have secured their place in the finals of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) after a dominant performance in the Nile Conference, finishing with a perfect 6–0 record.
The team, coached by Lebanon's Fouad Abou Chacra, swept past South Africa's MBB, Kenya's Nairobi City Thunder, and hosts Rwanda Army, winning both home and away ties in the round-robin stage. Their unbeaten campaign extends to 12 games, including earlier qualifiers in Tripoli and Abidjan.
Al Ahly's performances in Kigali were not only convincing but historic. The Libyan side shattered the BAL's all-time scoring record with a 115–87 win over Nairobi, eclipsing the previous record of 113 points set by US Monastir in 2021. They also became the first team in the tournament's history to score over 100 points in four separate matches.
Senegalese forward Jean Jacques Boissy made headlines with a 30-point game—the highest individual tally in BAL history—surpassing the previous best of 29 points set by US Monastir's DJ Hardy. Team captain Mohamed Al-Saadi also impressed, ranking second in rebounds with an average of 9.5 per game.
Speaking after the win, point guard Nassim Badrouch praised the team's achievement but urged caution ahead of the finals in Pretoria, South Africa, which begin on 5 June.
Al Ahly Tripoli will face fellow undefeated side Al Ittihad Alexandria of Egypt to determine final seeding. The winner will face the loser of Creole Sport (Cape Verde) vs FUS Rabat (Morocco) in the quarter-finals, while the runner-up will play the winner. The knockout stage will determine the 2025 BAL champion.
The tournament is organised by FIBA Africa in collaboration with the NBA.
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