Dakar clinch last playoff spot from the Sahara Conference

In the race for the final playoff ticket, it was do-or-die for ASC Ville de Dakar and Maktown Flyers.

The Nigerian champions put up a good fight in the opening quarter, but once ASC Ville de Dakar got into their offensive stride, there was no way back for Maktown Flyers, who became the second Nigerian team to miss out on the playoffs since the Kwara Falcons in 2023.

With the 79-62 win over Maktown Flyers on 3 May, ASC Ville de Dakar closed their conference campaign with a 3-2 record while the Nigerian champions finished 1-4.

This was ASC Ville de Dakar's third consecutive win after starting their Sahara Conference campaign with two losses.

They joined three other Sahara Conference teams — Club Africain, FUS Rabat and Al Ahly — in qualifying for the 2026 BAL playoffs.

Samba Fall took to the court with a sense of urgency, determined not to miss the playoff train for the second consecutive season with ASC Ville de Dakar.

By the end of the opening quarter, he had contributed 10 points, and went on to lead all players with 20 points by the end of the second half. 

Maktown Flyers were leading by three (12–9), but they were unable to contain Fall, who scored five straight points to give Dakar a 14–12 lead. From then on, the Nigerian champions chased the result until the final buzzer. 

Fall grabbed 10 rebounds to complete his double-double performance. Lamine Badji came off the bench to contribute 13 points and 11 rebounds.

“We wanted it more, and everyone on our team contributed in some way; that was the biggest difference between the two teams,” said ASC Ville de Dakar guard Matthieu Missonier, who contributed four points and a game-high nine assists.

“I feel relieved after we started this competition poorly. Qualifying for the playoffs is a big deal for Dakar, given last season's disappointment,” Missonier added.

He went on explaining his mindset coming into the game. “I tried to contribute as much as possible to help the team win. I didn’t feature much in the first four games, but the coach spoke to me this morning, saying that he was counting on me and telling me to be ready for this game.”

On the losing end, James Buttle Jr. and Peter Olisemeka, the only Flyers players to score in double figures, finished with 16 and 10 points, respectively. 

This the Flyers’ fourth straight loss in five games.

Maktown Flyers guard Thomas Okoh said: “They wanted it more than we did. We didn’t put in enough effort to win the game. We were slow, whereas they were ready to get the job done. We haven't played the right way since the beginning of this competition. I believe this was our lowest-scoring game so far. They play as a unit and don’t rush their plays, maintaining their own pace.”

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