The qualifiers of the fourth season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) have reached an important stage where the best teams are on the verge of making it to the final tournament.
On Saturday, November 4, the four teams that reached the semi-finals of the West Division will play against each other. The three teams that come out on top will book tickets to the BAL 2024 regular season.
The semi-finals will feature Al Ahly Benghazi (Libya), Bangui Sporting Club (Central African Republic), Forces Armees et Police (FAP) of Cameroon and FUS Rabat (Morocco).
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Out of the four teams, only FAP has ever been part of the BAL tournament before.
Here is a look at the teams at the semi-finals and who stands a chance to scoop a ticket to the fourth season of the BAL.
Al Ahly Benghazi Vs Bangui Sporting Club
Benghazi have reached the semi-finals of the qualifiers as the only team without tasting defeat. The Libyan champions beat FAP and BC Virunga to close their Group A campaign undefeated.
They built an experienced team with the arrivals of two-time BAL champions Souleyman Diabate, an Ivorian point guard and Ater Majok, a South Sudanese-Lebanese center.
These are in addition to Zachary Lofton, a former Detroit Pistons player who has averaged 28.5 points per game during the campaign.
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Benghazi will face a no easy task when they play against Bangui which has also assembled a good team that has players like Chris Crawford, an experienced American combo-guard. Names like Evan Ganapamo, Alex Higgins and Bijan Johnson could also make a difference for the team.
Benghazi looks to be the better team, but anything can happen.
FUS Rabat Vs FAP
It remains to be seen how FUS Rabat, a team that displayed an impressive combative spirit in Group B, will cope with FAP and their ferocious fan-base, since the games are being played in Cameroon.
At first glance, and judging by their group phase games, the Rabat-based team seems to be more competitive and consistent, but this will be proven when the two sides take to the floor.
Unlike two-time BAL participants FAP, who reached the BAL semi-finals in 2022, FUS Rabat are making their first ever appearance in the West Division elite 16.
Will experience give FAP the edge? We shall see.