Rankings? What rankings? Two top-ranked teams stumble in playoffs opening games

The beauty of the new BAL playoffs format is that it encourages lower-ranked teams to fight for survival.

Teams fought back for every basket allowed, reminding everyone that every possession matters and that the BAL Playoffs are a whole different ball game. 

Nobody wants to go home early.

The first victims, at least after the first four games, are none other than the two highest-ranked teams: Al Ahly SC and Petro de Luanda.

Both former champions, Al Ahly SC and Petro de Luanda closed their Sahara and Kalahari conferences with a 4-1 mark apiece, but none of that mattered, they lost their opening post-conference games.

Who were the giant-beater of the first two game days? Two teams making their first-ever appearance in the playoffs.

First, Senegal’s ASC Ville de Dakar, who arrived in Kigali with a questionable record from the Sahara Conference, shocked the 2023 BAL champions, Al Ahly SC 93-90. 

Then, twenty-four hours later, BAL newcomers Dar City stunned Petro de Luanda (88-82), the last team to lift the BAL trophy in 2024 in Kigali.

Of the top four teams, only the RSSB Tigers and Al Ahly Ly lived up to expectations, beating FUS Rabat (95–72) and Club Africain (88–87) respectively.

No one better than the losing teams to reflect on their shortcomings.

Al Ahly CS head coach Linos Gavriel said: “We didn’t do a good job in any aspect of defence. Our team is well-known in the local league as the best defensive team in the country. We didn’t deserve to win the game. We must be consistent to consider ourselves a contender. If we want to compete for the title, we need to do things right for 40 minutes.” 

Nuni Omot, who led Al Ahly SC to the 2023 BAL title while winning the MVP award said: “We played probably one of the worst games that I have been a part of, but we still lost by three points. I am very confident about the next game. Obviously, we’ve got to figure out where we made mistakes. We have to be the aggressors versus them being the aggressors.”

Petro de Luanda’s Gerson Goncalves remains upbeat about their chances saying: “Our defence lacked focus. They were clearly hungrier than us. The main lesson we must learn from this loss is that we must be hungrier than Dar City. If we are to win this series, we must play as a unit. We have been in this position before and I hope we can achieve a happy ending here in Kigali once again.”

For either Al Ahly SC or Petro de Luanda to remain in contention, they must overturn their respective three- and six-point losses.

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