Tuesday, March 14
Kwara Falcons vs Stade Malien - 6pm Kigali Time
REG vs Abidjan Basket Club - 9:30pm Kigali Time
Rwanda Energy Group (REG) point guard Jean-Jacques Wilson Nshobozwabyosenumukiza, has said that his team wants to win all the games of the Sahara Conference of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) and finish top.
He made the comments during an exclusive interview with Times Sport on Monday, March 13, ahead of REG’s encounter with Ivorian club ABC Fighters on Tuesday, March 14, at the Dakar Arena, in Senegal.
"Our goal is to finish the Sahara Conference in the first place. And that's why we want to win all the games,” he said.
His side started their BAL 2023 campaign by beating Nigeria’s Kwara Falcons 64-48 in their opening game on Sunday, March 12.
"In the first game we won but we didn't hit the shots well. The coach told us that we have to fix it and we are well prepared,” Nshobozwabyosenumukiza noted.
The game between REG and ABC Fighters gets underway at 9:30pm Kigali Time.
The ABC Fighters also won their opening against Senegal’s AS Douanes on Saturday, March 11.
In the other game, this Tuesday, Kwara Falcons will come up against Mali’s Stade Malien, with both teams hoping to bounce back from a modest start of their BAL campaign.
The Falcons’ 64-48 defeat against Rwanda Energy Group (REG) was the largest losing margin by any team in the Sahara Conference, so far. The defeat exposed the Nigerian champions’ weaknesses.
The 16-point loss to REG should be a wake-up call for the Falcons if they are to fight for a spot in the BAL playoffs, in May, in Kigali.
But what do numbers and scout reports suggest for the REG vs ABC Fighters game? At first glance, stats, team cohesion, as well as squad talent indicate that this could be an even match encounter.
The team that makes fewer mistakes - ball handling will be crucial - and whose bench produces valuable minutes, is likely to improve to 2-0.
Rwanda international player Adonis Filer dished out 8 dimes in REG’s win over Kwara Falcons, and continues to prove why he is one of the most impactful guards in the BAL.
A battle in the paint could be one of the major attractions of this matchup.
REG’s Pitchou Manga and Obekpa lead the league in blocks with 5 and 4 rejections, respectively.
REG and ABC have never faced each other.
The winner of this encounter will boost chances to move on to Kigali.
Abdoulaye Harouna - who is in his third BAL season with his third team – was fundamental for the Abidjan-based club in the win against hosts AS Douanes.
But the Nigerian isn’t the only go-to man for ABC.
Mike Fofana, Don Robinson Jr and Chris Obekpa may give REG some hard time.