Al Ahly overcame a three-point deficit suffered in the first game of the series to take down ASC Ville de Dakar 87-76. It was all to play for in this second leg of the quarterfinals and the 2023 BAL champions, Al Ahly, came out on top after a tightly contested game that saw 16 lead changes.
Last Updated on
May 25, 2026
Both teams took some time sizing each other up but it was Axel Toupane who got the ball rolling for Dakar with an early free throw, followed up by a fade-away jump shot. The occasion called for a big shot and Alaaeldin Zahran answered with a three-pointer. He was just getting started as he followed this up with a layup. It was not long before the 2023 BAL MVP, Nuni Omot, joined the scoring party with a floater to extend Al Ahly’s lead to 7-3.
Felling under pressure to keep the game within one possession, Dakar went on an 8-0 run to go up 11-7. Solo Diabate rounded this run up with a wrap-around lay up. Nuni Omot would not take this lying down, so he broke this run with a lay up on the drive. However, Al Ahly was only looking like a shadow of themselves. After the timeout, Axel Toupane set Lamine Badji up for a beautiful alleyoop dunk.
As the quarter was winding down, the intensity was only going up. Axel Toupane continued to find gaps in the Al Ahly defense and got to the line where he added two more points to his tally. From then on, it was the battle of the marksmen as Zach Lofton drained a perfect three, then Samba Fall retaliated with one immediately after, but it was Zach Lofton who closed off the quarter with another three-pointer to close off the quarter. Dakar enjoyed a narrow but meaningful three-point lead at 18-15 at the end of the first quarter.
John Jordan opened the scoring in the second quarter with a two-point jump shot. This was followed up with a Nuni Omot turnaround jump shot to give Al Ahly a one-point lead. This is when the back and forth began as Matthieu Missonnier regained the lead for Dakar with a lay up. Both teams continued trading baskets and change leads, but at the center of these runs were Nuni Omot for Al Ahly and Axel Toupane for Dakar. John Jordan tied the game with a dunk. The Congolese point guard is known for his showmanship and unexpected dunks that always spark oohs and aahs.
Dakar tightened up the screws defensively to ensure that they maintained the one-possession cushion. Their efforts were rewarded with a seven-point lead with two minutes left in the second quarter. Ater Majok proved too big a challenge in the paint. Alaaeldin Zahran kept Al Ahly in the game with quick, on-the-spot thinking to cut the deficit down to six points at the end of the first half. Again, Dakar was in the lead at 34-28 despite Al Ahly applying maximum pressure.
Osayi Osifo opened up the quarter with a tip-in dunk for Al Ahly. Inevitably Axel Toupane answered the call with a turnaround jump shot. Al Ahly cooked up the perfect recipe to tie the game as John Jordan drained a step back three before Zach Lofton shot a perfect to tie the game at 36 points apiece. The “Fall Guy,” Samba Fall, shot a three as the responsibility befell him to give Dakar the lead again.
Nuni Omot then took over the game with six straight points, making some of the most difficult jump shots. He gave Al Ahly a one-point lead. However, 2021 NBA champion, Axel Toupane, drained a three-pointer for another lead change. The marksman, Zach Lofton, put his skill on full display with another three-pointer for yet another lead change. Matthieu Missonnier also drained a three-pointer to make it a one-point game before Osayi Osifo scored a smothered fade-awayjump shot. This prompted a timeout.
This timeout paid dividends as coach Mammadou Gaye galvanized his troops and inspired a 7-0 run where Samba Fall scored five points and gave Dakar a two-point lead. Zach Lofton continued with his shooting clinic as he dropped another three-pointer before was beautifully set up by Kevin Murphy for a two-handed dunk. Dakar missed a few free throws and were unable to regain the lead at the end of the quarter. Al Ahly ended the quarter at 60-59 and knew there was still a fighting chance in the fourth quarter.
Osayi Osifo opened the scoring again this quarter but this time with a free throw. Mouhamed Camara then scored a lay up to tie the game at 61 points apiece. With nothing to separate these two teams, both coaches were tough on their players for silly fouls, unforced turnovers and ill-advised shots. Osayi Osifo gave Al Ahly another lead with a made free throw. However, Axel Toupane erased that shortly after as he got fouled on a floater and completed the three-point play.
The pendulum would continue swinging, indicating the various lead changes and all to play for. Dakar’s fast-paced and high intensity led to turnovers and fouls that kept Al Ahly in the game. The first blow for Dakar came with a little under eight minutes left when Axel Toupane went down with a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the rest of the game.
With little to no room for error and every shot weighing more than the previous, Solo Diabate drained a highly contested three-pointer to give Dakar the lead once again. It was now time for the African giants to take over as Nuni Omot scored back-to-back fade-away jump shots for an Al Ahly lead. Solo Diabate expertly collapsed the Egyptian defense before dumping the ball for Ater Majok’s dunk. The two won the BAL together in 2022 with US Monastir and the chemistry was in full display.
Missed lay ups and turnovers became more and more prevalent for Dakar and Al Ahly capitalized and opened up a five-point lead. This prompted another timeout, during which Dakar would be handed another blow – Ater Majok being sidelined due to injury. However, this did not deter them as Will Tavares dropped a three-pointer to make it a two-point game.
Kevin Murphy’s floater was the undoing of the Senegalese outfit. They lost composure and Al Ahly took full advantage of that with fast break dunks and free throws. Despite this, Samba Fall remained determined as he stole the ball in the front court and dunked it but it was much too late to galvanize his teammates. The fouls became less and less calculated and Al Ahly opened up an eight-point lead with less than two minutes to go.
Al Ahly rode this wave and sailed to the end with an 87-76 win to book their spot in the semifinals. Nuni Omot led all scorers with 24 points while Zach Lofton scored 19 with five from beyond the arc. The Egyptian champions will prepare for their semifinal in pursuit of becoming the first team to win two BAL titles.
[Photography/ImageryCourtesy of Armand Lenoir]
