2024 Basketball Africa League finalists Al Ahly Benghazi tipped off their Road to BAL campaign, crushing Centre Federal de Guinée 88-60. With the help of Sofian Hamad's 22 points and former NBA guard Miye Oni's 14 points, the Libyan powerhouse announced their arrival in the tournament.
Last Updated on
October 18, 2025
The 2024 Basketball Africa League (BAL) finalists, Al Ahly Benghazi, showed their critics how serious they are about qualifying for the Elite16 by outclassing the competition debutants, Centre Federal de Guinée (CFG) 88-60 in the opening game of Road To BAL.
Al Ahly returned to the scene after a year of watching their Libyan Basketball League rivals, Al Ahly Tripoli, dominate the domestic competition, lift the 2025 BAL Championship, and claim the bronze medal at the 2025 FIBA Intercontinental Cup. The success of their historic adversaries forced their hand and prompted them to acquire Al Ahly Tripoli star Mohamed Safi, who brought much-needed leadership and poise.
Al Ahly got off to a flying start, going on a 7-0 run. Sofian Hamad helped himself to four of those seven points before extending his range to drop a three-pointer. Abdoulaye Donzo tried to keep CFG in the game by scoring four quick points; however, despite this effort, they could not contain the Libya-based club. The scoring barrage continued as Al Ahly extended their lead to 24-15 to close out the first quarter.
In the second quarter, CFG came out revitalised when Aboubacar Savane found the bottom of the net, from long range, in back-to-back possessions. This cut the deficit down to just seven points. Additionally, the sequence also set the precedent for Al Ahly's long-range shooting exhibition.
Al Ahly then forced CFG to call a timeout following a 6-0 run following a period, where the Guinea-based club committed several unforced turnovers and gave up second-chance opportunities on the offensive glass.
Chudier Bile, Benghazi's very own sniper, then connected from deep to add salt to the wound and undo all the (short-lived) defensive work by CFG. The quarter concluded with Al Ahly holding firmly onto a 46-28 lead.
However, the tides shifted somewhat at the beginning of the second half, with Centre Federal de Guinée going on their own 7-0 run. At this point, both teams began trading points, with Elhadj Bah remaining a constant figure in this exchange.
Nonetheless, Al Ahly took it up another gear when they punched their way into an 11-0 surge and convincingly closed at the corner at 66-48. Their relentless defence had carried them throughout the game, and they could rely on it even when the offence was amiss.
Former Nigerian national team player and London Lions defensive wing Miye Oni drew a foul, which he converted from the charity stripe to start the proceedings in the final quarter, which he followed up with a triple.
Aboubacar Savane found his range again and instilled a glimmer of hope in his team, but to the onlookers, it was too little too late; the damage was irreversible. Sofian Hamad put on an offensive masterclass with 22 points in just 18 minutes of play. Al Ahly's dominance was never in question, but they will have to keep an eye out for tougher games ahead.
[Photography Courtesy of FIBA/Road to BAL]
