BAL 2026: Dar City stun Petro, Al Ahly Ly edge Club Africain

The day two of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Playoffs delivered high drama in Kigali on Saturday, as Dar City pulled off a stunning upset over reigning contenders Petro de Luanda, while Al Ahly Ly survived a nail-biting finish against Club Africain to take control of their quarterfinal series.

In one of the standout performances of the playoffs so far, Dar City defeated top-ranked Petro de Luanda 88–82, ending the Angolan giants’ strong run in dramatic fashion.

Petro, who lifted the 2024 BAL trophy the last time they played in Kigali, returned to the Rwandan capital as favourites but were instead stunned by a relentless late surge from the Tanzanian side.

The game remained tightly contested through three quarters, with Petro holding a narrow edge and Dar City staying within reach, unless the final period belonged entirely to the underdogs. 

Dar City unleashed a decisive 15–0 run in the last 6:28 minutes, sealing their biggest victory in BAL history and shifting momentum in the series.

Daniel Utomi led the charge with 22 points, while David Michineau added 12 points and eight assists, and Nisre Zouzoua contributed 19 points in a tireless full-game performance.

Michael Foster also impressed with a flawless shooting display, scoring 19 points without a miss from the field, while Anas Mahmoud added a strong double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds off the bench.

Petro de Luanda, despite strong contributions from Chasson Randle (18 points) and Aboubacar Gakou (17 points), struggled with efficiency, shooting just 8-of-32 from beyond the arc and missing 12 of 18 free throws.

Their bench outscored Dar City 51–16, but it was not enough to prevent a shock defeat.

“It was about focus and hunger. They wanted it more than us,” Petro guard Gerson Gonçalves admitted after the game. “We’ve been in this position before, and we must respond as a team.”

Dar City, however, remained composed despite the historic win. Utomi described the team’s belief as limitless, while also praising their defensive execution in the decisive final stretch.

In the day’s second quarterfinal, Al Ahly Ly edged Club Africain 88–87 in another tense finish that went down to the final seconds.

The Libyan champions, playing without their top performer Jo Lual Acuil, leaned on Majok Deng and new signing Charlie Moore, who combined for 45 points to secure a crucial victory.

Al Ahly Ly controlled much of the game but were pushed to the limit by a resilient Club Africain side.

With seconds remaining, Donovan Williams delivered the decisive point to put the Libyans ahead, before Club Africain missed a final opportunity after a timeout drawn up by coach Antonio Cainzos.

“We scored fewer points because the playoffs are a different reality,” said Al Ahly Ly guard Mohamed Sadi, who posted a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. “The job is not done yet.”

Club Africain, led by Omar Abada and Oussama Marnaoui with 23 points each, fought hard throughout and even led late in the fourth quarter but could not hold off the Libyan pressure.

Despite the narrow loss, forward Mohamed Hadidane remained optimistic ahead of the next game.

With both series finely poised, the winners of the quarterfinal matchups will be decided in the decisive games scheduled for Sunday.