The 2026 Basketball Africa League’s (BAL) Sahara Conference tipped off on Friday in the Moroccan capital Rabat and delivered an exciting opening night as the quest for qualification to the Playoffs in Kigali began.
In the opening game of the conference, Club Africain of Tunisia made a strong statement in their BAL debut, defeating Senegal’s ASC Ville de Dakar, 85-79 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex.
Led by superstar point guard Omar Abada and Jesse Jones Jr., who netted 21 points each, the Tunisian team was in control for much of the contest and held off a late push from the Senegalese champions, who were led by Samba Fall with 20 points.
In the second game of the night, hosts FUS Rabat delivered a dominant 85-55 victory over BAL debutants JCA Kings of Côte d’Ivoire.
FUS Rabat asserted full control on the game early, building a sizeable 24-point (45-21) lead by halftime and maintaining their intensity on both ends of the floor to secure a convincing opening‑night win.
Nigerian veteran wing Abdoulaye Harouna led FUS with 16 points, with Anthony Pritchard adding 13 points and six rebounds.
The result marked a confident start for the Moroccan champions in front of a packed home arena.
Led by Jonathan Cisse, who scored a team-high 13 points, JCA Kings struggled offensively throughout the night, converting 34 per cent of their field goal attempts. Ugandan shooting guard Robinson Opong was the only other Kings player to reach double figures with 10 points.
The opening night results set the tone for what promises to be a highly competitive Sahara Conference, with four of the six teams advancing to the BAL Playoffs in Kigali.
The Sahara Conference continues today, with Maktown Flyers (Nigeria) taking on JCA Kings while Club Africain take on ASC Ville de Dakar.