As the Basketball Africa League’s (BAL) Sahara Conference tipped off in Rabat, Morocco, basketball fans gathered at Ikeja City Mall in Lagos recently, for a watch party celebrating Nigeria’s Maktown Flyers’ first-ever BAL victory.
The Flyers defeated fellow BAL debutants JCA Kings of Côte d’Ivoire 76-68, led by Jawad Adekoya, who scored 20 points, and Tyrell Corbin, who recorded 13 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Maktown Flyers also controlled the boards, outrebounding JCA Kings 55-47. Jonathan Cissé led JCA Kings with 15 points.
The watch party drew 100 fans, who came together to watch the game live, connect with fellow supporters and share a collective viewing experience that brought the excitement of the BAL closer to home.
The Sahara Conference follows the conclusion of the Kalahari Conference in Pretoria, South Africa, where RSSB Tigers (Rwanda), Petro de Luanda (Angola), Al Ahly Ly (Libya) and Dar City (Tanzania) secured qualification for the BAL Playoffs, scheduled to take place from 22–31 May 2026 in Kigali, Rwanda.
The Maktown Flyers lost to home team FUS Rabat 72-97 on Sunday night and will face ASC Ville de Dakar on Wednesday to continue their quest for one of the top four spots in the Sahara Conference, which would secure their qualification for the BAL Playoffs in Kigali.
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