Moroccan champions Association Sportive (AS) Sale overcame a slow start to beat host Etoile Sportive Rades 77-69 on Wednesday in the final of the FIBA Africa Champions Cup 2017 in Tunisia.
Morocco international Abderrahim Najah scored a team-high 16 points and 11 rebounds in 33 minutes of play while Mohamed Hadidane who led the hosts scored a game-high 21 points and 7 rebounds but it was not good enough to avoid a defeat. AS Sale rallied back from a 11 point deficit in the third quarter to (34-45) to reduce the host to just 7points in the last quarter.
AS Sale becomes the first Moroccan team to win the FIBA Africa Champions Cup since Maghreb Association Sportive de Fez did it in 1998 while Abdelhakim Zouita is the first Moroccan named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
Earlier in the day, Union Sportive saw off 2014 FIBA ACC winners Sport Libolo 77-74 in the third place game.
Zouita was joined by his teammate Abderrahim Najah, Omar Abada (ES Rades), Evariste Shonganya (US Monastir) and Mohamed Harat (GS Petroliers) on the All-Star five list.
Final standings of the FIBA Africa Champions Cup 2017:
1. AS Sale (Morocco)
2. ES Rades (Tunisia)
3. US Monastir (Tunisia)
4. Sport Libolo e Benfica (Angola)
5. City Oilers (Uganda)
6. Ferroviario da Beira (Mozambique)
7. InterClube (Angola)
8. GS Petroliers (Algeria)
9. Kano Pillars (Nigeria)
10. ASB Mazembe (DR Congo)
11.Gombe Bulls (Nigeria)
12. New Generation (DR Congo)
Images: fiba.com
