Who takes the two tickets to Pretoria?

It promised to come down to the wire, and that's where the Sahara Conference 2025 finds itself on the final day of competition.

There is one game left for all four teams, and no one has qualified for the postseason to be held in Pretoria, South Africa in June.

As expected, the four teams - ASC Ville de Dakar (Senegal), Kriol Star (Cape Verde), Petro de Luanda (Angola) and US Monastir (Tunisia) - excelled at times and failed at critical moments, all due to the competitive nature of the conference.

In the run-up to the final day of the Sahara Conference, the question on everyone's lips is: "Who will take the two tickets to the playoffs in Pretoria?

Here's a look at the conference's two biggest games, featuring two BAL debutants and two BAL champions.

Petro de Luanda (3-2) v Kriol Star (2-3) - 14:30 local time - GMT

When the two teams met last week, Petro de Luanda overwhelmed Kriol Star 103-79.

The 29-point victory marked the second time this season that a team has reached the 100-point mark, after Al Ittihad's 100-80 win over Rivers Hoopers.

In five games, Sergio Moreno's men averaged 79 points per game while limiting their opponents to 72 points per game.

During a post-game press conference, Moreno revealed that he would rather play eight to nine players during a match than his entire bench for management reasons.

The Spanish coach insisted that having two-time BAL champion Solo Diabate on his roster was a blessing.

"Sometimes, because of his experience, he can see some situations on the field that other players can't. That is a plus for us."

Meanwhile, Kriol Star has shown tremendous tenacity for most of their five games.

Self-proclaimed underdogs, Kriol Star overcame their biggest hurdle so far by beating hosts ASC Ville de Dakar not once but twice, including a 95-92 overtime victory in front of a packed Dakar Arena.

The Cape Verdeans are the only team to have ever won a game in overtime this season.

Kriol Star, who have averaged 78 points per game in their first five outings, must beat Petro de Luanda if they are to extend their BAL campaign beyond Sunday, May 4, otherwise the Cape Verdeans will see their BAL campaign come to an end in 2025.

What else is at stake?

Depending on the outcome of other games, a Petro de Luanda defeat could see them become only the second BAL defending champions - after US Monastir in 2023 - to miss out on a playoff spot, while Kriol Star, who have spent most of their time in last place in the conference, can still qualify for the next round.

Patrick Gardner, Rigoberto Mendoza and Yanick Moreira have been fundamental for the Angolan champions while, Ivan Almeida emerges as the go-to guy for Kriol Star.

US Monastir (3-2) v ASC Ville de Dakar (2-3) - 17:30 local time - GMT

When US Monastir and ASC Ville de Dakar met on the opening night of the conference last week, the host team came out on top 70-67.

Heading into their final conference game, both teams are in must-win scenarios.

After a thrilling first round of the conference in which they shocked reigning champions Petro de Luanda, ASC Ville de Dakar are on a two-game losing streak and will face a solid US Monastir team that is averaging a tournament-high 79 points per game.

One thing ASC Ville de Dakar know too well is that they have to make every possession count.

"We can't allow Monastir to go on a scoring spree and let them outscore us at the beginning of the game, otherwise it will kill our mood; we have to fight from the beginning and fight until the end," said ASC Ville de Dakar guard Samba Fall, who has been sensational throughout the season.

What else is at stake?

US Monastir will be chasing their fourth BAL playoff appearance, while ASC Ville de Dakar will be looking to avoid becoming the second Senegalese team - after Dakar Universite Club DUC - to miss out on the playoffs while playing the conference phase at home.

Will Perry, Makhtar Gueye and Ater Majok have been crucial for the hosts while Osiris Eldridge, Radhouane Slimane, Firas Lahyani and Patrick Hardy Jr. have powered US Monastir to where they are now.