By Kevin Rademeyer, Sports Journalist.
Photo Credit: BAL/Getty Images.
RSSB Tigers made Basketball Africa League history on Sunday night, defeating Petro de Luanda 90-88 in Kigali to win their first BAL title and become the first Rwandan team to lift the trophy.
The victory capped a remarkable turnaround after the Tigers fell behind by 20 points early in the game and appeared headed for a difficult night in front of a packed BK Arena crowd. Instead, they produced one of the biggest comebacks in BAL Finals history.
Petro controlled the opening quarter behind the scoring of Aboubacar Gakou, who finished with 28 points. The Angolan side led 27-16 after the first period and looked firmly in control after their explosive start. The momentum changed in the second quarter.
After missing his first four shots, BAL MVP Craig Randall II found his rhythm. The American guard knocked down consecutive three-pointers to ignite the comeback and eventually gave RSSB its first lead at 37-35. By halftime, the Tigers had completely erased the deficit and moved ahead 42-37.
Randall finished with a game-high 33 points and played all 40 minutes, delivering another standout performance in a tournament where he established himself as one of the continent’s premier players.
The 30-year-old also walked away with the 2026 BAL Most Valuable Player award after leading the league in scoring throughout the season. Speaking after the victory, Randall reflected on a journey that nearly took him away from basketball. “First and foremost, I thank God because I wouldn’t be here without Him, alongside my family,” Randall said. “This means everything to me. Three months ago, I almost gave up on basketball. Coming here, Coach Henry and James did something nobody else did. They allowed me to be myself. God is so good. He added: “The sacrifice my wife made means everything to me. I dedicate this win to her.”
While Randall provided the scoring, the Tigers’ resilience may have been the story of the night. “There’s nothing that tops it,” said Tigers forward Ntore Habimana. “This means everything to us. We worked hard. Personally, I worked five years for this moment. This means everything to me, to Kigali and to Rwanda.”
Asked how the team responded after falling so far behind, Habimana said there was no panic. “We didn’t really have any specific conversation after that moment. We just stayed true to what we do because this is a game of runs.”
The Tigers also tightened up defensively after halftime, limiting Petro’s opportunities and forcing costly mistakes. Petro finished with 17 turnovers and struggled to maintain the offensive rhythm that had carried them through the opening quarter.
“We are a good offensive team, but the coaches made it clear that we’ve got to work on our defense if we wanted to be champions,” Habimana said. “We locked in defensively in the second half and it worked out for us.”
For Petro de Luanda, the loss was a painful one. The 2024 champions appeared on course for a second BAL title before the game slipped away. Gakou’s foul trouble became a factor, and he eventually fouled out late in the fourth quarter as the Tigers closed out the win.
“We lost the game because we couldn’t protect our 20-point lead,” Gakou said. “Credit to the other team for staying composed and fighting back. There’s no reason to be embarrassed. We must hold our heads up high.”
Gakou also pointed to the growing strength of the competition. “The BAL is becoming more and more competitive every season. I can’t find a clear explanation as to why we keep losing in the final, but other teams continue to build really competitive squads.”
For RSSB Tigers, the victory represents more than a championship. It is a landmark moment for Rwandan basketball and a reward for years of investment in the sport. It also earns the club a place at the FIBA Intercontinental Cup in Singapore later this year, where they will represent Africa on the global stage.
On a night that began with a 20-point deficit, the Tigers finished as champions. For Rwanda, it was a night years in the making.