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Al Ahly SC Overcome First-Leg Deficit to Secure 2026 BAL Semifinal Berth

Posted : 25 May 2026

Defending continental champions Al Ahly SC booked their place in the 2026 Basketball Africa League semifinals on Sunday afternoon. The Egyptian heavyweights produced a dominant second-half performance at the BK Arena in Kigali to secure an 87-76 victory over Senegal's ASC Ville de Dakar. The result allowed the Cairo-based franchise to overturn a narrow three-point deficit from their opening quarterfinal clash.

Al Ahly entered the decisive second leg under pressure after a shocking 93-90 defeat in the first game on Friday. The Senegalese league champions carried that momentum into Sunday and led for the majority of the first half. Dakar maintained a high level of intensity behind an impressive 16-point performance from former NBA forward Axel Toupane.

The entire complexion of the matchup shifted dramatically when Toupane limped off the court with a severe hamstring injury. Al Ahly immediately capitalised on his absence by implementing an extended zone defense that disrupted Dakar's fluid ball movement. The Egyptian side launched a decisive 13-7 scoring run during the final five minutes of play.

Forward Nuni Omot anchored the offensive surge for the red devils by scoring 11 of his game-high 24 points in the final quarter. Star guard Zack Lofton provided exceptional backcourt support to finish with 19 points on the night. Frontcourt anchors Amr Zahran and Osayi Osifo also played crucial roles by adding 14 and 13 points respectively.

Following the final buzzer, Al Ahly guard Kevin Murphy praised the collective maturity of his teammates. He noted that while their shots were not falling early on, their defensive locking-in ultimately secured the historic win. The result marks the first time Al Ahly has reached the final four since their championship run in 2023.

The comprehensive 11-point victory officially secured Al Ahly SC a spot in the next round by a cumulative nine-point margin. The Cairo giants will now enjoy a short rest before playing the high-scoring RSSB Tigers in Wednesday's semifinal. Meanwhile, Dakar forward Mamadou Lamine Diop expressed disappointment but emphasized that reaching the final eight remains a positive milestone for his club.

 

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