Club Africain secure first BAL playoff berth in Sahara Conference

Club Africain secured the first Basketball Africa League playoff ticket from the 2026 Sahara Conference after beating JCA Kings 79-74 on Tuesday in Rabat. It was Club Africain's third straight win in the conference while the Kings remain winless after three games. The Africains needed extra five minutes to see off a resilient, but sloppy JCA Kings team that wasted a superb chance of causing what would have been the biggest surprise of the conference. On a night that Club Africain ace Omar Obada had a quiet performance, Aminu Mohamed played the hero role, leading his team with 21 points. Jonathan Cisse became the first player from the 2026 Sahara Conference to score 30 points, but his effort wasn't enough to avoid the Kings' loss which can only be explained by the disparity in turnovers, finishing with 18 compared to Club Africain's four. The Kings looked nothing like the team that many had ruled out after they lost their opening two games; their tenacity and sense of desperation in relaunching their BAL campaign was evident. Club Africain, on the other hand, were unrecognizable from the team that had won many hearts and been tipped as strong favorites to win their third consecutive game. From the moment the Kings took an 11–10 lead and went on to lead by nine (19–10) at the end of the first quarter, they grew in confidence, leaving Club Africain searching for answers. The Tunisian giants tried to retake the lead but the Kings remained in absolute control of the game. They contested every Club Africain possession and shot, and more importantly, won the rebounding battle 30–18 at half-time, leading 37–24. Just before halftime, the Kings reached their largest lead of 15 points (34–19). Club Africain came out with a more aggressive defence in the third quarter, and a 10-0 run at the start of the period was just what they needed to slow down the Kings. The third quarter proved costly for the Kings, who saw their double-digit lead evaporate to just one point (47–46) by the end. When Abada scored an exquisite shot that hit the top of the board before falling in, giving Club Africain their first lead and a game-changing moment, their fans went wild. The remaining three playoff spots will be decided in the next games in Rabat.

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Club Africain secure first BAL playoff berth in Sahara Conference