In Thursday’s FIBA Africa Champions Cup (ACC) 2016 Semi-Finals in Cairo, both Recreativo do Liboloand hosts El Ahly proved too much and Kano Pillars, respectively.
Thirty Eight-year-old center Tarek El-Sayed was huge, inspiring the Egyptians with 13 points and a game-high 17 rebounds in a 71-65 victoryover the Nigerian champions Kano Pillars.
As much as Nigerian international AbubakarUsman tried to spark the Pillars with his offensive plays, the game belonged to El Ahly.
In the second Semi-Final, the Angolans of Recreativo do Libolo reached the last two of the competition for the third time in a row thanks to an 82-72victory over AS Sale of Morocco.
Four Libolo players – including Jekel Foster, ValdelicioJoaquim, Milton Barros and Andre Harris – combined for 51 points.
Meanwhile, AS Sale, who had beaten the Angolans in the Group Phase, missed the impact from the team leading scorer Brandon Freeman and SoufianeKourodu.
Although Freeman played the first four minutes, he hasn’t returned due to reportedly health issues. Kourodu did play a lot more minutes than Freeman, but the Moroccan international somehow was far from his best days.
Both Freeman and Kourodu finished scoreless, while Abderrahim Najah, AbdelhakimZouita, Zakaria El Masbahi and Mustapha Khalfi combined for 64 AS Sale’s 72 points.
In the battle for the Fifth-Place Game, Tunisia champions Club Africaininflicted more misery on former continental champions PrimeiroD’Agostowith an 83-67 triumph.
The Tunisians led by as many as 29 points on the back of BechirHadidanewho finished with a game-high 20 points.
It was D’Agosto fifth straight defeat in the Cairo showpiece.
Early in the day, Algeria champions GS Petroliers bounced back from a disappointing Quarter-Finals beating Cameroon’s BEAC Basket 74-67 to secure a place in the Fifth-Place Game against the Tunisians.
Nigeria’s representative at the 31st FIBA Africa Champions Cup in Cairo, Egypt, Kano Pillars lost 71-65 to host club, Al Ahly in the semi-finals of the competition
The Nigerian champions, who beat GS Petroliers team 91-81 in the quarter-finals could only win a quarter all through the encounter.
Al Ahly won the first quarter 15-13, but the Nigerian champions led by the in form AbubakarUsman fought back to win the second quarter 21-19.
In the third quarter the Egyptian side regained their lead winning 20-17. While they also lost the fourth quarter 17-14.
Usman scored 17 points while Daniel Ademola scored 16 as the Nigerian champions crashed.
They will face the Association Sportive de Salé for a 3rd place finish.
