The result allowed Petro de Luanda to overturn an eight-point deficit from the first game and qualify for the semifinals for the sixth consecutive season
Dar es Salaam. Dar City may have seen their Basketball Africa League (BAL) campaign end in the quarterfinals, but the Tanzanian side has left Kigali, Rwanda with pride, experience and belief that they can compete with Africa’s best basketball clubs.
Dar City narrowly missed out on a place in the BAL semifinals after suffering an 83-69 defeat to Angolan giants Petro de Luanda in the decisive second leg of their playoff series. The result allowed Petro de Luanda to overturn an eight-point deficit from the first game and qualify for the semifinals for the sixth consecutive season.
The Angolan champions, who won the BAL title in 2024, entered the game determined to avoid another upset.
They established control early, taking a 26-16 lead at the end of the opening quarter before stretching the gap to as many as 20 points during the contest.
Despite Dar City’s efforts to reduce the damage late in the game, Petro de Luanda relied on their experience, squad depth and rebounding strength to secure the victory and keep alive their hopes of another BAL title. Speaking to The Citizen after the match, Dar City head coach Mohammed Mbwana praised his players for their fighting spirit and commitment throughout the competition.
“Even though we did not reach the semifinals, the players fought tirelessly and deserve a lot of credit,” said Mbwana. “They gave everything for the team and for the country. Tanzania is now being recognised as one of Africa’s rising basketball nations.”
Mbwana noted that his squad showed remarkable growth by competing strongly against one of the continent’s most successful basketball clubs.
Petro de Luanda have become a dominant force in African basketball in recent years.
The Angolan side finished runners-up in the 2022 BAL season after losing to Tunisia’s US Monastir before lifting their first title in 2024 by defeating Libya’s Al Ahly Ly. In 2025, they again reached the final but lost to Al Ahli Tripoli.
“You can see how we played against tough and experienced teams,” Mbwana added.
“Our players have learnt a lot from this competition and we promise to come back stronger next season starting from the Elite 16 in October.”
Petro de Luanda’s victory was inspired by Chasson Randle, who scored 20 points, including nine from three-point range. Yanick Moreira added 16 points from the bench while Pete Jok contributed 15 points, all from beyond the arc.
For Dar City, Daniel Utomi, Nisre Zouzoua and Michael Foster carried the scoring burden, combining for 52 of the team’s 69 points after spending more than 39 minutes each on the court.
The Tanzanian side also suffered a major setback when David Michineau, who had impressed in the first leg with 12 points and eight assists, limped off the court in the second quarter with a reported hamstring injury and did not return.
Dar City struggled to match Petro’s bench strength, with the Angolan side outscoring the Tanzanian club’s bench 51-16. While Petro rotated players effectively throughout the game, Dar City relied heavily on a small core of players.
Despite the defeat, Dar City players remained optimistic about the future. “We are proud to represent Tanzania,” said player Sisko Ngaiza. “Reaching the quarterfinals and competing the way we did shows that we have potential. We came here aiming to reach the final and win the BAL, but lack of experience at this level affected us.”
Ngaiza believes the experience gained in Kigali will help the team improve in future competitions. “The next time we return to the BAL, we will be much stronger,” he said.
Although their journey ended before the semifinals, Dar City’s performance has strengthened Tanzania’s growing reputation in African basketball and provided hope that the country can continue producing teams capable of competing on the continental stage.
