Al Ahly beat Stade Malien in a tight match to reach BAL final
Posted : 25 May 2023
The Basketball Africa League championship game will take place in Kigali on Saturday after Egyptian powerhouse Al Ahly defeated upset contender Stade Malien in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Douanes upset pre-tournament favourites and unbeaten Angolan team Petro de Luanda earlier in the day to clinch an improbable championship chance, while Malien came close to doing the same at the BK Arena but fell short 78-73.
The score indicates a tighter game than it actually was, at least during the first three quarters.
The Mali squad, which defied all odds to win its Conference to advance to the playoffs and then win its quarterfinal, fought valiantly in front of a boisterous Rwandan audience, never falling more than five points behind before mounting many comebacks.
The fourth quarter of the game felt like a race for free throws as the referees blew every touch as the game was significantly marred by their extremely tight umpiring. In the game, Malien tried 37 free throws and made 26, while Ahly made 22 of her 35 tries.
With 21 points, Ehab Amin led Ahly and the game in scoring. He told the media he'd "rather not comment on the refereeing," but added that the squad was fortunate to escape after committing too many real fouls.
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