April 19, 2024

Nile Conference – Gameday 1 PREVIEW

When the 2024 Nile Conference gets underway on Friday, April 19 at Hassan Mostafa Indoor Sports Complex in Cairo there will be a sense of déjà vu among some of the four contenders.

Two rematches from last year will mark the start of the conference.

In Friday’s opening game, Libya’s Al Ahly Ly take on Central African Republic’s Bangui Sporting Club. Three hours later, hosts Al Ahly Sporting Club will face Uganda’s City Oilers.

Al Ahly Ly v Bangui SC

Al Ahly Ly and Bangui SC last met during the semi-finals of the Road to BAL West Division in Yaounde, Cameroon, last November , the decisive encounter went to the wire.

Bangui SC came up on top with an 87-85 win, which ensured them their first-ever BAL spot.

Congolese forward Rolly Fula led Bangui SC with 18 points off the bench after the Central African Republic’s champions trailed by as many as 13 points in the second quarter.

Souleyman Diabate could have won the game for Al Ahly Ly, but missed his 3-pointer attempt with six seconds left on the clock.

Al Ahly Ly, meanwhile, needed to beat FAP 93-84 in the third-place game to qualify for the BAL season 4.

Bangui SC and Al Ahly Ly arrived in Cairo for the Nile Conference with relatively renewed rosters, but both Fula and Diabate are set for a rematch.

Al Ahly Ly revamped its roster mainly with the signings of Majok Deng, Jo-Lual Acuil and Kevin Marquis Murphy.

Serbian Ivan Jermic is now the an at the helm of Al Alhy Ly.

Francois Enegueye, who led FAP to the 2022 BAL semi-finals, is now the man at the helm of Bangui Sporting Club.

On paper Al Ahly Ly appear a firm favourite to win the opening game of the 2024 Nile Conference.

Al Ahly SC vs City Oilers

When Al Ahly SC and City Oilers last met on April 29, 2024, the latter sought its first in the league, but the hosts prevailed 72-70.

CAIRO, EGYPT - APRIL 29: Ehab Saleh #45 of the Al Ahly dribbles the ball during the game against The City Oilers on April 29, 2023 at the Dr Hassan Moustafa Sports Hall. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Armand Lenoir/NBAE via Getty Images)

Al Ahly embarked on a scoring spree, leading by 33 points, but, in a turn of events, Falando Jones-led City Oilers cut the gap to two points in the final seconds of the game.The reigning BAL champions Al Ahly kept half of its roster from last year and added scoring machine Mark Lyons.

Oilers, on the other hand, brought in all-around Dane Miller Jr., seven-footer Khaman Maluach and Patrick Rembert. Historically Al Ahly have only lost one home game - a 91-90 loss to Petro de Luanda – in the Nile Conference.