Sané’s strange feeling of playing against the fans he loves

For most of his BAL career, Babacar Sane has always had the home crowd behind him, but this season, the story is different for the 21-year-old small forward.

With Senegalese teams hosting the Sahara Conference from 2022, Sane has felt the warmth of the local fans.

This time, however, his support base has dwindled to his immediate family, as the 6-foot-7 forward now plays for US Monastir of Tunisia.

Sané played for Dakar Universite Club (DUC) in the 2022 season and has been a regular member of Senegal's senior team since 2022.

He played for the NBA G League Ignite team in the 2023 FIBA Intercontinental Cup.

When US Monastir head coach Vasco Curado brought Sané off the bench, the young Senegalese made the most of his seven minutes on the court, shooting 2-for-4 and finishing with five points.

What's it like to play against your adoring fans? He was asked.

"It feels good to come here and see the Senegalese fans cheering for the home team," he replied.

"My family came to support me, it was really good. Playing against your home country is something I have never experienced before.

Most of the fans in the sold-out Dakar Arena on Saturday were locals, and they chanted, danced and at times booed the opposing players, making Sané to experience something new.

"It was also a strange feeling," Sané admitted.

"As Senegalese, we love playing for Senegal, that's how we feel."

"Every time they scored, the crowd cheered them on. It was amazing to see. I enjoyed it even though I was playing against them."

US Monastir face Petro de Luanda on Sunday in one of the most anticipated matches of the 2025 Sahara Conference. It's a rematch of the 2022 BAL final, in which US Monastir took home the top prize.

"I'm not saying it's a good thing to lose the first game, but losing the first game will help us," Sané stressed.