APR too strong for reigning champions Petro de Luanda

Petro de Luanda suffered an 18-point loss for the second time in their Basketball Africa League (BAL) history. This is their largest margin of defeat in the league.

During the inaugural BAL season in 2021, they lost to Zamalek 89-71 in the semifinals. On Saturday, the Angolan champions lost to BAL playoff debutant APR 75-57.

This was not an ideal start for the reigning champions, who now have a 3-4 record this season.

Fans showed up in large numbers to support the Angolans, but they left the SunBet Arena disappointed.

Petro de Luanda’s loss to Kriol Star on the last day of the Sahara Conference was a wake-up call for the Angolan champions. However, Saturday’s loss to APR raised serious questions about their ability to retain their BAL title.

Difficulty was evident early on, and things only worsened for Petro de Luanda as the game progressed, primarily due to APR's disciplined and determined playing style.

By the end of the second quarter, Petro de Luanda had already 12 turnovers compared to APR's six at that stage of the game.

Yanick Moreira and Cleusio Castro both tried to play physically, but by the end of the third quarter, the most either player had achieved was three fouls.

To make matters worse for Petro de Luanda, head coach Sergio Moreno was ejected after receiving a second technical foul in the third quarter when his team trailed 50-39.

A four-point lead at halftime was all that APR needed, and they increased their lead in the third quarter to as many as 25 points.

Aliou Diarra was unstoppable causing all sorts of troubles to Petro de Luanda’s defense.

The Malian international finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds, marking his fourth double-double of the season.

Nuni Omot, the only other APR player to score in the double digits, added 15 points.

Petro de Luanda's substitutes, Patrick Gardner and Samkelo Cele, led the team in scoring with 13 and 10 points, respectively.

“We started the game slowly, perhaps because we had a week off, focusing more on resting than practicing hard,” said APR center Youssou Ndoye who contributed eight points and 10 rebounds.

He went on detailing how the Rwandan champions closed the game: “There wasn’t one specific aspect of the game that got us the win. We played an all-around game. We executed on both ends of the floor. We made stops, limited their ability to play in transition, and forced them to play half-court. That’s how we won this game.”

Ndoye felt Petro de Luanda’s physical game, but, he admitted: “I was able to draw a lot of fouls and open the floor for my teammates to score.”

“At the end of the day, our goal is to win and keep fighting. Like everyone else, we have one goal in mind, and the way we are playing, we are getting closer to achieving it,” Ndoye pointed out.

Despite the loss, Petro de Luanda forward Aboubacar Gakou noted that it’s too early to rule out the reigning champions from the 2025 BAL title conversation.

“We have one more game to turn things around. Last season, we lost the first playoff game against Monastir but ended up winning the title,” Gakou said.

Gakou, who won the 2025 Angolan League MVP award last week, admitted that this was not his best showing: “Personally, I performed terribly,” he explained.

“We lacked focus and energy, and we weren't strong in the areas where we usually excel. But we can’t give up.”

“To win again, we just need to come back with more intensity and mental strength,” he concluded.

In the quarterfinals, Petro de Luanda will face the winner of the Rivers Hoopers vs. US Monastir game, and APR will take on the loser.