BAL Playoffs 2026 : Petro de Luanda storms back against Al Ahly Ly to reach third straight BAL Final

Petro de Luanda advanced to its third consecutive Basketball Africa League Final after defeating Al Ahly Ly 94-88 in a dramatic semifinal clash in Kigali. Trailing for most of the game, the Angolan champions produced a dominant fourth-quarter comeback to secure their fourth BAL Finals appearance in six seasons.

The matchup was a rematch of the 2024 BAL Final, and for much of the contest, Al Ahly Ly appeared in control. The Libyan champions dictated the tempo through the first three quarters with aggressive offense and strong execution. However, the momentum completely shifted when Cleusio Castro threw down a thunderous dunk to give Petro a 75-73 lead with 7:13 remaining. From that moment on, Petro never trailed again.

The game-changing spark came from the bench through Childe Dundao. Entering as Petro’s seventh man, Dundao transformed the flow of the game with his pace, energy, and playmaking. Alongside him, Gerson Gonçalves delivered a huge offensive performance to lead the Angolan giants back into the BAL Final.

With the victory, Petro de Luanda now reaches the BAL Finals in 2022, 2024, 2025, and 2026, further cementing its legacy as one of Africa’s premier basketball dynasties. Petro will now face RSSB Tigers, who eliminated Al Ahly SC 106-97, in what promises to be an electric championship game in front of the Kigali crowd.

Meanwhile, Al Ahly Ly will face Al Ahly in the third-place game after falling just short of reaching the club’s first-ever BAL Final.