Having defeated last season’s champions US Monastir in the Sahara Conference, Gueye’s charges cleared any doubts with victory over Petro to put the rest on notice.
Senegalese side AS Douanes will dare to dream of winning the Basketball Africa League when they take on Egyptian giants Al Ahly in Saturday’s final in Kigali, Rwanda.
Douanes tore the bookmakers’ script by eliminating pre-tournament favourites Petro de Luanda in the semi-final on Wednesday and now have the opportunity to lift the trophy.
After defeating Petro, Douanes’ head coach Mamadou Gueye said that whoever doubted them initially was wrong.
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The pair of Jean Jacques Boissy and Marcus Crawford was unplayable for Petro and made it tough for every matchup thrown at them.
And if Petro undermined the West African side, they were wrong and paid the price.
Marcus Crawford and Jean Jacques Boissy are lethal and will present Ahly with a formidable challenge to deal with all night.
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Boissy, coming off a game-high 28 points, will be a handful for any matchup thrown at him because of the physicality with which he plays defence.
His ability to make big plays and shots should be a reason for the Egyptian side to worry. He can shoot the ball and has the ability to attack the lane and get to the basket.
On the other hand, Crawford is a complete guard gifted with a three-ball and able to find his way to the basket against any opposition.
His 26 points in the semis came in handy, with some points making the difference down the stretch when Petro attempted a comeback.
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Shooting 11-for-18 from the field, Diarra was too big for Petro and limited Ater Majok and Jone Pedro in the paint.
Overall, Douanes are not in the final by mistake and cannot be taken lightly anymore.
Having defeated last season’s champions US Monastir in the Sahara Conference, Gueye’s charges cleared any doubts with victory over Petro to put the rest on notice.
Tough Ahly
Whichever way you look at it, Al Ahly will feel Petro would have been a tougher opponent to face in the final.
Agustin Julbe Bosch’s side are playing in the BAL for the first time, having missed out on the first two seasons.
But the team possesses enough experience required to play and win at the top level.
Nuni Omot, Corey Webster and Micheal Thompson will give the North Africans the ingredients required to win a high-profile game like the BAL final.
One thing for sure is that Douanes will fancy their chances, and Ahly will have to work for each and every point.
Basketball Africa League
Final
Al Ahly vs. AS Douanes -Friday, 7pm
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