Abada, Jones lead debutants Club Africain to opening win

The opening game of the 2026 Sahara Conference did not disappoint, with debutants Club Africain beating ASC Ville de Dakar 85–79 on Friday in Rabat.

Omar Abada and Jess Jones scored almost half of Club Africain’s points against a Ville de Dakar side that spent most of the game chasing the score.

Jones Jr.'s first three-pointer, which cancelled out Ville de Dakar's opening basket, triggered a historic win for the legendary Tunisian club.

Jones scored nine of his 21 points from behind the arc, while Abada also scored 21 points. 

Samba Fall came off the bench to give Senegalese fans something to cheer about. However, for the fourth time in six BAL seasons, a Senegalese team opened their season with a loss.

Fall shot 8-for-11 from the floor, including 3-for-5 from three-point range, to lead Ville de Dakar with 20 points. However, making only 5 of their 21 three-point attempts did little to avoid defeat.

“It was crucial to kick off the BAL campaign with a win, given that we have several new players on the roster,” said 2022 BAL champion Oussama Marnaoui who contributed 11 points off the bench. 

Club Africain won the battle of the boards 42-33 and were deadly accurate from behind the arc, sinking 10 of their 36 attempts. 

It was a close game, but from the moment Club Africain scored 7 unanswered points in the opening quarter, they never trailed again, eventually reaching a 13-point lead in the third quarter.

2012 London Olympian Mohamed Hadidane added 11 points, while Jamelle Hagins contributed nine for the winners.  

“This was a team win, and it has boosted our morale.  The new players integrated well, which bodes well for the future,” Marnaoui 

On the opening night, starters Ater Majok and Solo Diabate – two BAL champions – and NBA champion Axel Toupane combined for 43 points for ASC Ville de Dakar.

“Fighting for every 50-50 ball and making confident shots was key,” Marnaoui insisted. “ASC Ville has some big names, so we had to prepare well to stop them going on a run.”

The continuing support of thousands of Club Africain's travelling fans, who sang, cheered and clapped their heroes on, was unmissable for most of the game.

“They [Club Africain fans] are here to enjoy themselves, and what you saw is what Club Africain fans are like — they are amazing! They support our team from start to finish,” Marnaoui said.