BAL: No room for error for City Oilers
City Oilers will want to go a step better despite the many changes. PHOTO/COURTSEY
What you need to know:
Friday’s opponents, Bangui, are far from pushovers and will be looking to pause a serious challenge for the nine-time National Basketball League winners.
City Oilers have a right to call themselves one of the big boys in the Basketball Africa League Nile Conference that is happening in Cairo, Egypt.
Apart from Al Ahly, who won the title on first attempt last season, the other two opponents in Cairo are playing in the BAL for the first time. Both Central African Republic’s Bangui Sporting Club and Libya’s Al Ahly are here for the first time.
Friday’s opponents, Bangui, are far from pushovers and will be looking to pause a serious challenge for the nine-time National Basketball League winners.
Having started their campaign against the defending champions and hosts Al Ahly last night, City Oilers know that competitions of this calibre offer little time for celebrations or mourning after wins and defeats.
Changes
City Oilers failed to make the playoffs last season following a 1-4 record in one-off fixtures in a five-team group. But with the introduction of the Kalahari Conference this season, there are three opponents in front of Karim Nesba’s charges.
They will play each team twice and must be in the top two after the six games to guarantee themselves a place in the playoffs slated for late May in Kigali, Rwanda.
“It feels great. This is an opportunity we don’t take for granted, you know, out of very many teams in Africa to be privileged to be here and represent our country and our people. It’s a great honour,” Oilers captain James Okello said before the team’s clash Al Ahly.
Playing in Africa’s premier competition for the second season in a row, the Oilers believe they have what it takes to level up against any opponent at this stage.
Players like Dane Miller Jr., Khaman Maluach, Tonny Drileba and Robinson Opong must step up to get Oilers through tough situations, and those will be plenty throughout the tournament.
Bangui will rely on players like Evans Ganapamo to ask Oilers tough questions.
Meanwhile, Al Ahly will be looking to rely on their home crowd to get past neighbours Al Ahly Benghazi from Libya in their second game of the tournament.
Basketball Africa League
Nile Conference
Saturday fixtures
Bangui vs. City Oilers, 5pm
Al Ahly (Egypt) vs. Al Ahly (Libya) 8pm
