Zamalek, US Monastir to clash in BAL final
Zamalek’s Walter Wallace Hodge (right) goes for the basket against Petro de Luanda during their Basketball Africa League semi-final match against Petro de Luanda at Kigali Arena on May 29, 2021. Wallace posted a game-high 19 points and 10 assists for the Egyptian side who won 89-71.
What you need to know:
- Zamalek defeated Angolan giants Petro de Luanda 89-71 in the early afternoon tip-off while US Monastir dominated the host team Patriots Basketball Club 87-46 in the 8:30pm encounter
- Zamalek’s Walter Wallace Hodge posted a game-high 19 points and 10 assists to help the Egyptian side overcome Angola’s Petro de Luanda on their way to the BAL final
- The winner of the inaugural Basketball Africa League title on Sunday will take home a trophy and cash prize of over $100,000 (about Sh10 million)
Egypt's Zamalek and Tunisia's US Monastir will face off in the final of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) on Sunday, at Kigali Arena in Rwanda.
Zamalek defeated Angolan giants Petro de Luanda 89-71 in the early afternoon tip-off while US Monastir dominated the host team Patriots Basketball Club 87-46 in the 8:30pm encounter.
Unlike Zamalek who have grown into the competition, US Monastir have been favourites from the onset.
The Tunisian side became the first team to register a triple-digit score in their first group game against GNBC of Madagascar.
US Monastir swept the Malagasy club, GNBC 113- 66 to take control of a tricky Group A that featured Rwanda’s Patriots BBC and Nigeria’s River Hoopers.
They have since been scoring for fun throughout the tournament, beating every opponent on their way with a big margin, and observers had tipped them to go all the way.
“I am very happy with the way the boys have played this tournament,” said US Monastir head coach Mounir Ben Slimane.
He added: “I am particularly pleased with our defence. Our aim is to win the title and we are focused on the finals. Zamalek have a good team, we know each other very well. We know their local and foreign players. It's going to be a good game.”
Zamalek’s Walter Wallace Hodge posted a game-high 19 points and 10 assists to help the Egyptian side overcome Angola’s Petro de Luanda on their way to the BAL final.
Anas Osama Mahmoud also scored 14 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists to propel Zamalek to the final.
During a post-game presser, Mahmoud said that the final against Tunisia’s US Monastir “is going to be a tough game mentally and physically.”
“Playing in the final is not about how hard you are but how smart you play. We are going to limit what we do wrong, cut on sloppy passes and see how it turns out. But we want to win the title,” added Mahmoud
The winner of the inaugural Basketball Africa League title on Sunday will take home a trophy and cash prize of over $100,000 (about Sh10 million).
The final between Zamalek and US Monastir will be played at 5:00 pm EAT.
The game will be preceded by the third-place play-off between Rwanda’s Patriots BBC and Angola’s Petro de Luanda which will tip-off at 1:30 pm EAT.
The teams which will finish second, third and fourth in the BAL will also pocket some undisclosed prize money.
