Toupane's 21-9-7 masterclass and Dakar's bench dominance stun Al Ahly in BAL quarterfinal opener

ASC Ville de Dakar pulled off the upset of the BAL Playoffs opening night, edging Al Ahly SC 93-90 in a breathless quarterfinal that featured 15 lead changes and more points than either team had scored or conceded all season.
NBA champion Axel Toupane (199-F/G-1992) was the difference. The French-Cameroonian forward posted 21 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in a near triple-double that extended Dakar's winning streak to four games. Samba Fall (194-SF-1999) added 18 and three other teammates reached double figures in a balanced attack that overwhelmed Al Ahly's two-man scoring show.
The Egyptian giants started aggressively, racing to an 18-11 lead four minutes in and stretching their advantage to seven in the second quarter their biggest of the night. But Dakar sensed the game slipping and responded with a run that seized a 47-45 halftime lead, setting up a second half of relentless back-and-forth exchanges.
The fourth quarter was a war of attrition with neither side able to pull away, but Dakar's bench proved the decisive factor outscoring Al Ahly's reserves 26-12 in a disparity that the Egyptian side could not overcome despite individual brilliance from their starters.
Former BAL MVP Nuni Omot (204-SF-1994, college: Baylor) led Al Ahly with 23 points and Kevin Murphy (197-G-1990, college: Tenn Tech, agency: The Crew A.M.) added 22, but the pair carried too heavy a load. Oraby was lethally efficient with 12 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting (2-of-2 from three) but inexplicably did not play in the fourth quarter, robbing Al Ahly of a weapon they desperately needed down the stretch.
"They came out and played harder than us," Al Ahly's Zach Lofton (193-G-1992, college: NM State, agency: Slash Sports) admitted. "We want that semi-final spot as badly as anyone else. We just need to play better defensively."
Dakar's Will Tavares struck a cautious tone despite the victory: "We have to approach the next one as if we lost this one. We are happy to have won this game, but we want more than one win."
Al Ahly must now win Game 2 on Sunday by more than three points to advance. For Dakar who lost to Al Ahly by just four in the Kalahari Conference four weeks ago the reversal of fortune puts them firmly in control of the series.