FUS Rabat outclass Kings on opening night of the 2026 Sahara Conference

Debutants JCA Kings experienced the Basketball Africa League (BAL) for the first time in a tough match.

The Ivorian team were no match for the formidable FUS Rabat side, losing 85-55 in the second game of the opening day of the 2026 Sahara Conference.

FUS Rabat took to the court with a sense of urgency. At some point in the first half, they were leading by 28 points. FUS Rabat led 45-21 at the break.

Local fans showed up in their thousands to watch FUS Rabat win their first BAL game on an opening night at home. 

Last season, FUS Rabat started their home campaign on the losing end, but this time they gave home fans reasons to be confident.

Cheikh Diong opened the scoring with a floater, but Will Perry’s sole three-pointer cancelled out the Kings’ sole lead just 17 seconds later. FUS then took complete control, going on a scoring spree and leading by 12 at the end of the opening quarter. They extended their advantage to 45–21 by half-time.

Five-time BAL participant Abdoulaye Harouna led the FUS Rabat with 16 points, and four of his teammates also scored in double figures.

On a night when lethal scorer Chris Crawford underperformed, shooting 2-for-8 (including 1-for-6 from deep), Jonathan Cissé took on the role of primary scorer, leading the Kings with 13 points off the bench. Robinson Opong, the other JCA Kings player to score in double figures, finished with 10 points.

After the game, FUS Rabat forward Ilias Aqboub reflected on the team's opening win, saying: “Being the second time that we host the BAL our main goal is to do better than last season. We are taking one game at a time and try to win every game we play. Even though we kept some players from last season we can’t compare because we have a new dynamic."

The 30-point win stands as FUS Rabat largest in the BAL, surpassing their 26-point (84-58) win over Cape Town Tigers during the 2024 season.

This was a complete team win for the Sahara Conference hosts who bench outscored the kings’ substitute 49-27.