BAL 2026: Al Ahly Ly, Petro de Luanda advance to the semifinals

Charlie Moore delivered a masterclass performance as Al Ahly Ly stormed into the 2026 Basketball Africa League (BAL) semifinals with a convincing 98-80 victory over Club Africain, while Petro de Luanda once again underlined their dominance by securing a sixth consecutive semifinal appearance after eliminating Dar City.

At the BK Arena in Kigali, Moore proved unstoppable on both ends of the floor, orchestrating Al Ahly Ly’s offense while tormenting Club Africain defensively.

The explosive guard finished with 23 points and 13 assists, shooting 7-for-15 from the field and knocking down four three-pointers in a complete all-around display.

From draining deep shots to creating scoring opportunities for teammates and disrupting the Tunisian side’s rhythm, Moore dictated the pace throughout the contest.

Donovan Williams added 25 points, Majok Deng contributed 15, while Assem Marei chipped in with 11 points as the Libyan champions secured the third semifinal ticket.

Club Africain entered the game knowing they had to erase a one-point deficit from their opening quarterfinal clash after losing 88-87.

However, Al Ahly Ly quickly imposed themselves and never allowed the Tunisians to take the lead.

Although Club Africain showed resilience in the second quarter, outscoring Al Ahly Ly 24-20 to reduce the halftime gap to six points at 50-44, the Libyan side responded emphatically after the break.

A devastating 13-2 run in the third quarter broke the game open and effectively ended the Tunisian club’s semifinal hopes.

Oussama Marnaoui led Club Africain with 16 points, while Aminu Mohamed added 15. Makthar Gueye provided valuable energy off the bench with 12 points, but early foul trouble limited his impact for long stretches.

Playmaker Omar Abada struggled offensively, shooting 3-for-13 despite playing the entire game and finishing with 12 points and seven assists.

After the game, Abada admitted that Al Ahly Ly’s physicality and defensive aggression made the difference.

“They played with discipline in both offence and defence. We had some good moments in the game, but a lack of focus and consistency meant that we paid the price,” said the Tunisian guard.

On the other side, Majok Deng praised his team’s composure and experience.

“We expected them to push us to the limit, and they did. But our coaching staff prepared us very well, especially offensively. Our experienced players helped us control the tempo and maintain the momentum,” Deng noted.

Meanwhile, Petro de Luanda continued their remarkable BAL consistency by overturning an eight-point first-leg deficit to beat Dar City 83-69 and advance to yet another semifinal.

The Angolan giants started aggressively, racing to a 26-16 first-quarter lead and never looking back.

Even when Dar City threatened with a brief scoring surge, Petro maintained complete control, stretching their advantage to as many as 20 points.

Randle starred with 20 points, while Yanick Moreira added 16 points off the bench to guide the 2024 BAL champions into a blockbuster semifinal showdown against Al Ahly Ly — a rematch of the 2024 BAL Final.

Petro de Luanda’s achievement further cements their status as one of the BAL’s greatest dynasties.

Since the league’s inaugural edition in 2021, the Angolan powerhouse has consistently reached the latter stages of the competition.

Petro finished third in the 2021 BAL, reached the semifinals again in 2022, lost the 2023 final to Al Ahly Egypt, captured their maiden BAL title in 2024 after defeating Al Ahly Ly, and remained among the continent’s elite in 2025 before now reaching a sixth straight semifinal in 2026.