Al Ittihad announces continental return after defeat over FUS Rabat

This was a historical game as it was a game of many firsts. It was the first time a BAL conference is hosted in Morocco and it was the first time Al Ittihad took part in the BAL. The Egyptian champions from Alexandria knew that it was not going to be smooth sailing when they took on FUS in front of their fans in Rabat. Al Ittihad who were lastly won an African club championship in 1987 are looking to repeat that same feat and this was evident by the additions to their roster. They added the Egyptian star,Anas Mahmoud, who is a BAL champion and defensive player of the year along with some household names such as Majok Machar Deng, Kyle Vinales and McZavier King.

The game got off to a very slow start and it was the home team that opened the proceedings when their captain, Abdelhakim Zouita, converted 2 free throws. The two teams quickly shook off the nerves and began to dazzle the crowd with beautiful display of fundamental basketball combined with some flair and athleticism. McZavier King then opened his BAL account with a 3-pointer off a Kyle Vinales assist. The two teams then traded baskets until the end of the quarter with the score at 21-20 in favor of FUS. With very little separating the two teams, Al Ittihad knew that they had to play better defense and commit less fouls. while they struggled to balance the equation, John Jordan of FUS cruised around, recording 10 points in the first quarter.

The second quarter was one-sided as Al Ittihad tightened the screws on defense and limited FUS to only 7 points in the quarter while they scored 17 and opened a gap on their opponents. FUS managed to score only 2 points in the last 6 minutes of the quarter where it seemed like they were out of options and did not know how to score or stop their opponents. Nisre Zouzoua and Johnathan Jordan spent a considerable amount of time on the bench and this showed when the team looked lackluster during that period. The Egyptian side took advantage of this as they upped the ante on defense and continued to crash the board on offense, allowing multiple opportunities. Al-Ittihad's domination reflected on the scoreboard with Egyptians going into the half with a 37-28 lead.  

The third quarter remained well balanced with very little separating the two teams. However, it was a better scoring quarter for the home side as they score 18 points in the quarter to redeem themselves from their second quarter woes. The quarter ended at 55-46 in favor of the Egyptians. They then went on cruise control as they slowed down the tempo of the game but continued with their seamless executions. They began firing on all cylinders which frustrated their opponents more and led to some unforced turnovers and rushed possessions. This allowed for Al Ittihad to keep control of the game and win their first ever BAL game on their debut with a score of 71-60.

John Jordan led all scorers with 22 points but it was not enough to get his team over the hump. Majok Machar Deng recorded the only double-double of the game when he recorded18 points and 12 rebounds to go with this comfortable win. McZavier King also recorded 19 points and 6 rebounds in the win. Mohamed Aboushousha had the following to say when asked how it feels to play against the home team under that pressure to get a win,

We were watching Al Ahly and Zamalek win the BAL and we are trying to do the same thing. It’s all for Egypt…we have to mentally be ready and take care of our bodies.

The two teams will meet again next week for their return fixture. In the meantime, they will be thinking about Stade Malien and Rivers Hoopers for their upcoming fixtures.

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[Imagery and Photography Courtesy of BAL]

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