Marnaoui hits game-winner three-pointer as Club Africain shock Al Ahly

Moments after Club Africain's nail-biting victory over Al-Ahly, Jawhar Jawadi knew exactly what was going through his teammate Oussama Marnaoui's mind.

“ He is built for moments like this,” said the Club Africain forward, reflecting on their 69–68 victory over the 2023 Basketball Africa League (BAL) champions.

Marnaoui hit the decisive three-pointer that rescued Club Africain from what seemed like certain defeat.

However, before Marnaoui's heroics, his teammate Omar Abada sank one of the most important three-pointers of his career, cutting their deficit to just four points. 

This game-changing three-pointer came after Tunisia rallied from a seven-point deficit in the final 15 seconds. 

So, how did Club Africain give themselves a chance after finding themselves in such a difficult position? Firstly, they never gave up, despite struggling to score late in the game. Then, Al Ahly’s Malek Abdelgowad was assessed an unsportsmanlike foul, helping Club Africain to complete a five-point play before Marnaoui inflicted the final blow.

Abada was the top scorer, finishing with 25 points, while Marnaoui, the other Club Africain player to score in double figures, added 17 points for the winners. 

At one point during the game, Al Ahly were trailing by as many as 17 points in the third quarter.

However, Kevin Murphy — who scored 19 points for the Egyptian powerhouses — hit two consecutive three-pointers early in the fourth quarter, after which Osayimwen Osifo buried a leading-change two-handed dunk to give them a 61–60 advantage. 

Ehab Amin finished with 18 points for Al Ahly, while Zack Lofton contributed 11.

“They played tougher in the first half — I think that was the main difference between the two teams,” Lofton told BAL.NBA.com.

Lofton continued his reflection on the game saying: “It was our first game together. We got off to a slow start, but we're starting to get to know each other better. It's a learning experience. We have to stick together and come back stronger tomorrow. We won three quarters tonight but lost the second by a big margin.”

Club Africain’s Jawhar Jawadi said: “We have a group of players who can play with the same intensity and determination to win, and this was crucial for us tonight. 

“There were long periods when we weren't scoring, but Abada’s late three-pointer gave us the spark we needed. Marnaoui is built for moments like this and makes us all happy.”

He even went on sharing his impressions of the BAL “It’s a great experience to be part of the BAL – it's well organised and the referees are of a high standard. I hope that Club Africain can return to the BAL in the future.”

Asked about the impact their traveling supporters have on the team, Jawadi replied: “Our fans will travel all over the world to support us: They will come with us to China and Japan. If we qualify for the playoffs, they will certainly come to Kigali. Wait and see.” 

Saturday night's highly anticipated game between Club Africain and Al Ahly in Rabat lived up to expectations.

With the win, Club Africain improve to 2-0 before returning to action on Tuesday against JCA Kings.