Libyan champions Al Ahli Tripoli stunned defending champions Petro de Luanda 88-67 to win their first-ever Basketball Africa League (BAL) title on June 14 at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa. With this triumph, Al Ahli became the first team to progress all the way from the Road to BAL qualifiers, win a conference, and lift the continental crown.
Led by Coach Abou Chacra Fouad—who was also named BAL Coach of the Year—Al Ahli delivered a historic campaign, beginning in the second round of qualifiers. They went on to top the Nile Conference in Kigali before dominating the playoffs to claim Africa’s most prestigious club basketball title.
Their success was built on a mature, cohesive squad that developed chemistry through a packed schedule, which included the Road to BAL games in Tripoli, the Nile Conference in Kigali, a training camp in Istanbul, and playoff games in Pretoria.
A major factor in their triumph was Al Ahli’s smart scouting and roster management. They began the season with experienced players like Michael Eric and the first-ever BAL MVP, Walter Hodge.
Throughout the campaign, the club made timely reinforcements—bringing in Jean Jacques Boissy and Jaylen Adams before the regular season in Kigali, and adding Fabian White Jr. ahead of the playoffs to replace Deon Thompson.
These additions paid off in the playoffs. Al Ahli showcased disciplined, structured basketball, maintaining composure even in tough moments.
They played under the radar against Al Ittihad in seeding games, cruised Kriol Star—whom they had also beaten in the Road to BAL—and eliminated Rwanda’s APR, who they had already defeated twice in the regular season, to reach the final.
In the championship game, six Al Ahli Tripoli players scored in double figures: Assem Marei (22 points, 19 rebounds), Fabian White Jr. (18), Caleb Agada (12), Mohamed Sadi (11), Jaylen Adams (11), and Jean Jacques Boissy (10).
Marei, the 2.06m, 113kg Egyptian center, dominated with a game-high 22 points and a record-setting 19 rebounds—eight of them offensive—earning the highest efficiency rating in the final.
Petro de Luanda saw double-digit performances from Childe Dundao (11), Patrick Gardner (11), Rigoberto Mendoza (10), and Aboubacar Gakou (12), but were outmatched by Al Ahli’s balanced and relentless attack.
After the game, Al Ahli Tripoli shooting guard Nasseim Badrush credited the team’s unity as the key to their title run.
“The key factor to our BAL success was our togetherness,” he said.
Following the final, Al Ahli Tripoli players received gold medals, the championship trophy, and—making history—a set of championship rings, awarded for the first time in Africa. In the individual awards ceremony, Senegalese point guard Jean Jacques Boissy was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
In their BAL debut, Al Ahli Tripoli not only showcased the strength of Libyan basketball—marking a second consecutive final appearance by a Libyan club—but also earned the honor of representing Africa at the upcoming FIBA Intercontinental Cup.
