A look back at the last two GameDays (28-29 April) in Rabat

While the first three game days offered some incredible basketball moments on and off the court, the last two proved why the 2026 Sahara Conference has been so unpredictable.

From nail-biting victories and uncertainty surrounding the host team to the first game of the season being decided in overtime, we witnessed it all from 29 to 29 April at the Moulay Abdellah Arena in Rabat.

In this article, we reflect on the events of the final two game days in the Moroccan capital before the Sahara Conference resumes on Friday, 1 May.

Club Africain march on! 

It took the Tunisian team three games to secure their place in the 2026 BAL playoffs.

By beating JCA Kings 79–74 — their third consecutive victory in the Sahara Conference — Club Africain became the only undefeated team in the conference and secured their playoff spot with a perfect 3–0 record and two games remaining.

First OT game of the season

Game number 22 of the 2026 BAL season, between Club Africain and JCA Kings, went down in history as the first to be decided in overtime.

Although the Ivorian champions led for 26:41 of the 45 minutes, Club Africain saved the best until last, turning things around to secure the 79-74 overtime win after both teams were tied at 66-66 at the end of regulation time.

Cissé reached the 30-point mark

Despite some incredible shooting performances from a number of players, it took four game days for a player to reach the 30-point mark.

Jonathan Cissé of the JCA Kings became the first player in the 2026 Sahara Conference to do so. The Ivorian international reached this historic milestone in a 79–74 overtime loss to Club Africain.

Another thriller decided in the final seconds!

Just four days after Club Africain upset Al Ahly by a point (69-68) with eight unanswered points in the final seconds, another game was decided by a single point in the dying seconds.

ASC Ville de Dakar took to the court on Wednesday night, aiming for their first win in three games, and they achieved it when Samba Fall sank a three-pointer with just five seconds left on the clock.  

Crawford also made an impact

After two underperforming games, JCA guard Chris Crawford came up stroger, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds in a 79-74 loss to Club Africain. 

He became the first player in the conference to register a double-double. 

Injury-hit FUS Rabat 

Two wins in as many games at the start of the 2026 Sahara Conference were just what the hosts needed.

However, losing Abdelhakim Zouita and Ilias Aqboub to injury, followed by the confirmation that the team’s leading scorer, Abdoulaye Harouna, would be out for weeks, was the worst-case scenario for the Moroccan champions. The injured trio were replaced with players who were already registered.

The JCA Kings dominated the boards

Although the JCA Kings lost their three games, they made history by tying league’s highest number of rebounds (65) during their 79-74 overtime loss to Club Africain, a game in which they outrebounded the Africains 65-52.

2026 Sahara Conference Standings as of 30 April

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