By Kevin Rademeyer, Sports Journalist.
Photo Credit: BAL.
Control, clarity and a sense of inevitability defined the latest round of the Basketball Africa League Sahara Conference, where Al Ahly and Club Africain tightened their grip on the competition with authoritative victories.
For Al Ahly, this was about showing their dominance, power and control. Their 85 to 65 dismantling of JCA Kings secured a playoff berth and underlined a familiar rhythm. Fast start, defensive squeeze, controlled finish. It is a pattern that has carried the Egyptian champions before, notably to the 2023 title, and one that is resurfacing at the right moment.
The numbers tell part of the story. Zack Lofton poured in 32 points, a conference high, stretching defensive schemes that never quite settled. But the detail sits elsewhere. Al Ahly rotated deeply, trusted their bench, and held the Kings below 20 points in every quarter. That is structural dominance rather than individual brilliance.
Ibrahim Zahran, contributing 14 points, framed it in simpler terms afterwards. The plan was clear, the execution cleaner. Limit output, dictate tempo, remove variables. Against a JCA side that had competed gamely in earlier fixtures, the drop off was stark. Energy faded early. By the third quarter, with the deficit pushing past twenty, the contest had effectively dissolved.
There were bright spots. Jonathan Cissé once again carried the scoring load with 21 points and eight assists, supported in patches by Babatunde William and Chris Crawford. Yet four straight defeats leave the Kings chasing pride rather than progression. As centre Mbacke Diong admitted, resilience remains, but time has run out.
If Al Ahly’s performance was about power and control, Club Africain’s 86 to 77 victory over Maktown Flyers leaned on continuity. The Tunisians extended their unbeaten run, preserving top spot in the conference through a blend of measured offence and persistent defensive pressure.
Omar Abada orchestrated once more, delivering 25 points and 11 assists in a display that balanced scoring with game management. Around him, Oussama Marnaoui and Mohamed Hadidane combined effectively, adding weight on the boards and secondary scoring to blunt any sustained challenge.
Maktown, now on a three game losing streak, were competitive without ever quite seizing momentum. Their issue was not effort but control. Each time the margin narrowed, Club Africain responded with composure, resetting tempo and reasserting territorial command.
Viewed together, the results sketch a clear hierarchy. Club Africain remain the benchmark, unbeaten and structurally sound. Al Ahly, now 3 and 1, are accelerating into form with a system that looks increasingly difficult to disrupt. Beneath them, the gap is widening.
The conference resumes with fixtures that may refine, rather than redefine, that picture. JCA Kings meet ASC Ville de Dakar seeking a first win, while a North African derby between Club Africain and FUS Rabat offers a sterner examination of the leaders’ credentials. Al Ahly, meanwhile, close their campaign against FUS Rabat with momentum and qualification already secured.
At this stage, the margins are less about survival and more about statement. And both Al Ahly and Club Africain are making theirs with growing authority.