Al Ahly Ly vs. Club Africain; Dar City vs. Petro de Luanda

The second double-header of the 2026 quarter-finals sees four teams looking to improve their chances of reaching the semi-finals.

All four have experienced defeat during their conference campaigns, but they insist that this is a stage of the BAL Playoffs where they have to move on.

The first game of the day, at 15:00 local time, sees Tunisia’s Club Africain face Libyan side Al Ahly Ly, before Tanzanian champions Dar City take on Petro de Luanda of Angola three hours later.

Club Africain (4-1) vs. Al Ahly Ly (3-2) - (15:00)

Since winning four of their five games in Rabat three weeks ago, Club Africain have added the experienced Makhtar Gueye and retained most of their squad. 

However, their ambition to become the second Tunisian team to reach the Championship Game after US Monastir did it in 2021 and 2022 remains undiminished. 

Far from being a high-scoring team, Club Africain's main weapons are their tenacity and teamwork. Taking on an Al Ahly Ly side that rallied from 0–2 down to reach Kigali with a three-game winning streak will test their true pedigree.

Al Ahly Ly averaged 104 points per game this season, compared to Club Africain's average of 77 points in their first five games.

In terms of field-goals made, the two teams are at opposite ends of the spectrum, with the Libyan giants leading the league with 37, compared to the Tunisians' 25. However, it must be noted that both teams faced starkly different opponents during their conference campaigns.

Omar Abada, widely considered to be one of the most talented point guards on the continent, is Club Africain's go-to man, averaging a team-high 19 points and 8 assists per game. 

Aminu Mohamed is Club Africain’s primary defender, averaging 2.4 steals and 11 points per game. 

The 2024 BAL MVP, Jo Lual Acuil, is Al Ahly Ly’s all-rounder, leading the team in scoring, playing time, and rebounds. His partner in crime is fellow South Sudanese player Majok Deng, with whom he has been playing since their BAL debut two seasons ago.

Acuil, Deng and, to a certain extent, Donovan Williams could be Club Africain’s main disruptors. 

Al Ahly Ly are the second team since Petro de Luanda to replace their head coach midway through the season. Greek Fotios Katsikaris took over from Egyptian Ahmed Soliman, who led the team to a 3–2 victory in the Kalahari Conference. 

Petro de Luanda (4-1) vs. Dar City (2-3) - (18:00)

On 3 April, when Petro de Luanda and Dar City faced off in the Kalahari Conference in Pretoria, South Africa, the former rallied from an early eight-point deficit (10–2) to eventually cruise to a 100–75 win. 

Petro de Luanda capitalised on the absence of Dar City’s top scorer, David Michineau, who was out injured, to extend their winning streak. 

Michineau's return for the quarter-finals gives Dar City hope, especially if Michael Foster and Nisre Zouzoua perform at their best.

The 61–19 disparity in the bench was one of the largest point differences registered in BAL history. However, just like Petro de Luanda, Dar City has made adjustments to its squad by bringing in the experienced centre Anas Mahmoud while retaining most of its roster. 

Mahmoud is a BAL Defensive Player of the Year winner.

The Angolan champions, the only team to have played in every BAL season and reached the semi-finals each time, signed former NBA players Chasson Randle and Raphael Putney in the hope that they would help the team reach the Championship Game for the fourth time. 

Former All-BAL Defensive Team member Childe Dundao came off the bench for Petro de Luanda in the five games of the Kalahari Conference, leading the team in scoring, playing time, and assists.

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