By Phillip Orwa
The 2026 Basketball Africa League season tipped off yesterday at SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa, with two high‑energy matchups.
In the opening game of the season, RSSB Tigers (Rwanda) opened their campaign with a 103-95 victory over Al Ahly Ly (Libya). Leonard Randall II led all the scorers with a game‑high 37 points, knocking down eight three‑pointers in a standout BAL debut, while Teafale Lenard Jr. added 27 points to help secure the Tigers’ opening‑day win. Donovan Williams led Al Ahly Ly with 28 points and eight rebounds.
The second game of the day saw Dar City (Tanzania) deliver an emphatic 100-70 win over host’s Johannesburg Giants (South Africa).
Nisre Zouzoua powered Dar City with 35 points and David Michineau contributed 27 points and nine assists in a dominant team performance that capped an impressive BAL debut for the Tanzanian side. Jacobi Heady led the Giants with a team-high 26 points.
On Saturday, March 28, Dar City Basketball Club (Tanzania) improved to 2–0 in their BAL debut season with a hard‑fought 90-85 victory over Nairobi City Thunder (Kenya).
David Michineau delivered a standout performance, finishing with a game‑high 39 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Nisre Zouzoua added 20 points and five rebounds to help Dar City close out the contest in the final moments.
The evening game featured a rematch of the 2024 BAL Final, with Petro de Luanda (Angola) securing a convincing 104-90 win over Al Ahly Ly (Libya). Petro controlled the game from the outset, led by Childe Dundao, who scored 27 points, and Milton Valente, who added 19 points on an efficient 9-of-11 shooting as the Angolan champions opened their 2026 BAL campaign with an emphatic performance.
