BAL 2026: Al Ahly Ly – Petro Luanda, who to join RSSB in the finals?

Al Ahly, the hour of revenge
The Libyans of Al Ahly are only at their second participation in the Basketball Africa League, but are already a formidable opponent for the other franchises of the elite African league. For their first game in 2024, the Butchers made it all the way to the final, before losing to... Petro Luanda (94-107).

But Benghazi’s record had appealed at the time, having eliminated Egypt’s Al Ahly in the quarterfinals (86-77) and Nigeria’s River Hoopers in the semi-finals (89-83). Now coached by the Greek Fotis Katsikaris, Al Ahly Ly has lost nothing of his consistency and has shown an impressive regularity since the beginning of the regular phase with a beautiful 3rd place in the Kalahari Conference.

The three-time champion of Libya has taken out the African Club in the quarterfinals and is about to play his second consecutive semi-final, with the goal of reaching the final again. And since fate has no accident, it will be against his 2024 executioner, Petro Luanda in a poster that promises to be breathtaking.

Al Ahly Ly can count on his two leaders, notably his leader Damion Baugh who has the best average of assists per match in BAL 2026 (10.0), but also his center Lual Lual Acuil who is the N°1 in percentage (60%) of successful shots in the competition.

Since the first edition of the Basketball Africa League in 2021, Petro Luanda has always reached at least the semi-finals of the competition with 3 finals played on record. His worst performance, moreover, was a 4th place in 2023, one year before his coronation (2024). The Angolan club is impressive in terms of consistency in the tournament.

So it’s a giant that stands in front of Al Ahly Ly this Thursday evening. And the "Os Fontaiques" led by Sergio Valdeolmillos, who has been in office since 2024, have reason to dream of a fourth final in the competition. With only one defeat this season, especially in the regular phase (4 wins), Petro Luanda is still advancing by leaps and bounds to the final.

The Angolan ogre will rely on his soloists, notably Childe Dundao, his leader who displays the best percentage (87.5%) in free-throws in the competition (35 successes), his winger/guard Peter Jok who excels in three-point shoots with 50% success, is the 3rd best percentage of the tournament, or Milton Bande Valente, his defense machine with 2.2 interceptions on average per match since the beginning of the competition (3rd best total).