Latest news with #NileConference
Libya Observer
4 days ago
- Sport
- Libya Observer
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. Tags: basketball club Al Ahly Tripoli
TimesLIVE
6 days ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
MBB miss out on Pretoria playoffs after BAL conference elimination
Johannesburg's Made by Ball's (MBB) dream of reaching the Basketball Africa League playoffs in their debut season was torpedoed when they were beaten 102-73 by Al Alhy Tripoli in their last Nile Conference game at the BK Arena in Kigali on Sunday. This means SA will not have a representative when the playoffs take place at the Sunbet Arena in Pretoria in two weeks. MBB had to beat conference leaders Al Ahly if they were to qualify to play on home soil as per the standings. They needed to finish second or at least third for the last wild card spot. That spot falls to FUS Rabat of Morocco, who, like MBB, won two games but have a better points difference of -19 compared with the Johannesburg side's -64. US import Teafale Lenard Jr put in another impressive shift on top of his 39 points which he had scored the previous day. The ex-NBA G League player put up 18 points, 11 rebounds and two assists, but his efforts were not enough to carry the team over the line. Jovan Mooring with 10 points and Pieter Prinsloo (11) were the only other players to score double figures. The bench contributed 27 points. By contrast, the men from Libya had 49 points. The 2.13m tall David Craig, who missed the Nairobi City Thunder game on Saturday with a stomach bug, returned to the starting five and was the only change head coach Sam Vincent made. Tripoli quickly opened up a four-point gap from the tip-off, but Lenard levelled matters. With that kind of clinical display from the perimeter, there is no question why Jaylen Adams walks away with the @visitrwanda_now MVP accolade 👏. #BAL5 — Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) May 25, 2025 From then, MBB found their mojo and put up a seven-point extension into the score line and were 14-7 with four minutes remaining, but the Libyan outfit made a comeback and tied the game 16-16 with two minutes left. Though MBB were resilient, Al Ahly ended up winning the quarter 23-16. MBB kept on chipping important buckets in the second quarter, but whenever they moved closer to Tripoli's score, Italian head coach Abou Chacra's men would step on the accelerator. The closest difference MBB moved to was a three-point deficit at 30-27 with four minutes before halftime. Al Ahly, who had already secured a place in the playoffs, went to the dressing room team talk ahead at 42-34. The Libyans ensured that the writing was on the wall for the South Africans and diminished any thoughts of a miracle comeback. They walked away with the game in the third quarter. Jean Jacques Boissy, who was arguably the best player in the conference, slotted a three-point step back jump shot five minutes into the quarter, and Al Ahly took a lead of 22 points. Tripoli had a 69-48 advantage heading into the last 10 minutes of the game. Despite Lenard, Prinsloo and Mooring putting shots at the end, it was not enough to stop the Libyans as they walked away with a 29-point win. US player Jaylen Adams, who played 32:43 for Tripoli, finished with a top score of 28 points.
TimesLIVE
21-05-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Vincent has flashbacks of legendary Larry Bird in Prinsloo's display against Thunder
Made By Ball (MBB) head coach Sam Vincent says he saw glimpses of his former Boston Celtics teammate and Hall of Famer Larry Bird in Pieter Prinsloo's match-winning performance against Nairobi City Thunder in the Basketball Africa League in Kigali on Tuesday. The Pretoria-born Prinsloo had 30 points and 11 rebounds, while Robinson Odoch-Opong knocked down a three-pointer at the death to help MBB to a 75-74 win in the Nile Conference. 'There were moments when I was having fond NBA flashbacks, because Pieter today [Tuesday], he reminded me of Larry,' Vincent said. 'No disrespect to Larry but some of the shots [Prinsloo] hit on the step-back threes and the low post moves, he was sensational.' Vincent also praised Teafale Lenard Jnr, who scored 20 points, saying he reminded him of another teammate in former Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen. Pippen was a crucial member of the Bulls' championship-winning team that featured players such as Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr and Dennis Rodman and dominated the NBA in the 1990s. 'I also had some flashbacks with Teafale and a couple of those monstrous dunks that he had reminded me of Scottie,' Vincent said. Pieter Prinsloo's double-double (30 PTS/11 REB) performance for MBB earned him the @visitrwanda_now Player of the Game mention. #BAL5 — Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) May 20, 2025 He said the adjustment he made by bringing 2.13m tall David Craig into the starting five in place of Nkosi Sibanyoni brought stability in their defence. The win was the Johannesburg-based team's first in the BAL after losing two games at the weekend. 'Getting this win is almost like a full circle,' Vincent said. 'I first came to South Africa in 1999 and got involved with basketball. 'From coaching in South Africa, I got to the NBA and had a chance to coach. 'Having a chance 25 years later to come back and get this win, which is so important for what we're trying to do to get more exposure and promote basketball in South Africa, is important. 'So it's exciting, but more importantly, we have to keep our heads down and keep on working, and that's what we're going to do in the next few games.' The win was influential in boosting MBB's chances for the playoffs in Pretoria. The South African team have to win one game with a superior points difference or two games, depending on how other matches play out in the conference, to comfortably claim the last wild card spot. That berth is now occupied by FUS Rabat of Morocco, who have won two games but have a -19 points difference. MBB will next play Rwanda's Armée Patriotique at the same venue on Thursday.
TimesLIVE
20-05-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Prinsloo stars as SA's MBB snatch first Basketball Africa win at the death
Pieter Prinsloo and Robinson Odoch produced the magic as Johannesburg's Made by Ball (MBB) claimed their first win in the Basketball Africa League at the BK Arena in Kigali on Tuesday. Ugandan Odoch slotted a three-point dagger at the sound of the buzzer to usher in wild celebrations as MBB secured a come-from-behind 75-74 win over Nairobi City Thunder. Prinsloo is the main man that head coach Sam Vincent would have bought drinks for on Tuesday night. The Pretoria-born star scored 30 points, had 11 rebounds and an assist. Another standout performer for MBB was Teafale Lenard Jr with 20 points and Jovan Mooring, who added 10. The win over City Thunder now means the SA team either have to win one game with a superior points difference, or two games, depending on how other matches play out in the Nile Conference, to comfortably claim the last wild card spot.
TimesLIVE
20-05-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Soshanguve's Mothiba embraces being second-oldest player at Basketball Africa
His teammates call him 'Bra Neo' or 'Grootman', terms relating to him being a big brother and also as a sign of respect. At the age of 43, Made By Ball (MBB) player Neo Mothiba is a testament to the saying that dreams delayed are not dreams denied. The Soshanguve basketball star is still going strong and is not planning to stop playing any time soon — as long as his legs and body can still keep up with the pace of the game, he says. His peers, with whom he started his career way back in the early 2000s, are either retired, coaching or focusing on their daily jobs. But Mothiba is still adding more stripes to his impressive hooping career. MBB is going crazy before the game 🧨 Which one is your favorite ? #BAL5 — Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) May 18, 2025 He recently made his debut for Johannesburg's MBB in the continent's biggest competition, the Basketball Africa League in the Nile Conference, which is ongoing in Rwanda. That made him the second-oldest player in the current BAL edition after Radhouane Slimane, 44, of Tunisia's Union Sportive Monastir, commonly known as US Monastir. 'It is a testament to the amount of work you constantly put in, I don't know how he feels [Slimane],' Mothiba said. 'I would have loved to play earlier in the BAL, but the opportunity has come. To be playing at my age and be playing with slightly younger guys means that anyone can do it.' With the kind of experience that comes with being around the South African basketball scene for almost three decades, it comes as no surprise that he is part of MBB's leadership group, which Mothiba embraces. Round 2 of the Nile Conference was something else! Here are your Top 5 plays from yesterday 👊 #BAL5 — Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) May 19, 2025 'The presence with the team is with my leadership style, some of the guys gravitate to me whenever they need advice, be it basketball or personal,' Mothiba said. His basketball CV is unmatched in the country, and he also helps fight social ills in his community through his company, Beyond the Arc, which focuses on youth development through basketball. Mothiba is a former SA national team captain and has made appearances in the 2005, 2007 and 2009 African Championships, as well as the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. At club level, he has had stints for Pretoria Heat, Egoli Magic, Jozi Nuggets, Soweto Panthers and Tshwane Suns. He had the luxury of watching his current employers grow through the ranks of SA Basketball. MBB have progressed from a social club to a professional powerhouse. Now, together with MBB, which Mothiba joined in 2024, he is attempting to help his team qualify for the BAL playoffs in South Africa in June. As for his teammates, he has pressured them to deliver in the Nile Conference in Kigali so that they return to SA to compete in the playoffs on home soil. The SA team need to win two or three of their remaining games and construct a superior points difference. 'We wouldn't be human if we didn't think about that,' Mothiba said. 'Of course, it's being talked about within the camp, but the coaches try to make sure we don't think ahead and that we focus on the task at hand — making it through the Nile Conference.'
