FUS Rabat - The Big Tip Off

Benmhine and FUS brace for energy sapping period

MONDAY marked the beginning of Ramadan (10 March – 9 April) for followers of the Islamic faith, and FUS Rabat player Soufiane Benmhine is no different.

Benmhine has played during the holy month in his home country Morocco, but he says the Basketball Africa League (BAL) could be different.

It’s because the league, which tipped off in South Africa last Saturday with the Kalahari Conference, has intense back-to-back matches. During the off day on Monday, Benmhine says he and his FUS teammates do not know what to expect when play resumes on Tuesday.

“It’s a tough period because we are in competition, but the medical staff is doing a great job by making sure we don’t use too much energy during games,” said Benmhine. “This is the first day (Monday) of Ramadan… Fortunately, there were no games today. We only practised. But tomorrow (Tuesday), we will know how it feels.”

FUS Rabat's Soufiane Benmhine — **FUS Rabat coach Ali Bouzidi and Soufiane Benmhine will hope for a third win when they take on the Cape Town Tigers. Pictures: The BTO**

The shooting guard reflected on his process: “It’s not the first time I am playing during Ramadan. I am used to it. The first two to three days are tough because your body is adjusting. What is difficult is playing in such a competition because it’s a high level,” said the 31-year-old.

Tuesday night sees the undefeated Rabat take on the winless Cape Town Tigers, who have a 0-2 record.

Benhmine says they will approach the game against the Tigers with the same humility they did in their opening victory against Angola’s Petro de Luanda.

“As the coach said in the last press conference (after the game against Petro), ‘There is no easy game’. Our approach is to be confident, but that’s not enough, there is a job to be done,” said the Moroccan international, who scored 12 points against Petro in his and Rabat’s BAL debut. “We played against Petro and got the win. We also saw Cape Town play against Petro last night (Sunday), and it was not an easy game.

“They have a lot of talented players. So we are serious. We are preparing well for every game.”

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Being well-prepared for elite competition is always the expectation of Morocco’s most successful team. Benhmine, a long-serving player at the club, is proud to be a part of the 18-time Division Execellance champions and helping to contribute to its history.

“I have played for FUS for a long time. I began this journey with them six years ago. Finally, we have achieved one of our objectives. I am proud to be part of the FUS family,” said Benhmine. “The team’s management has done a great job and they continue to improve our conditions. Hopefully, we will continue to win championships.”

A win over the Tigers will put FUS in a position to reach the playoffs, and a good seeding could put them in a position to be a title contender.

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FUS and Dynamo steal the show on opening night

Game 1: FUS Rabat’s bench steals the show

In their debut game in the BAL’s Kalahari conference, FUS de Rabat defeated Petro de Luanda 82-73, handing them their third straight loss. Soufiane Benmhine, reflecting on the game, credited the team’s success to their awareness of their opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.

“The key was to respect Petro but not to fear them. Every player respected their role, including those on the bench,” said Benmhine. Jonathan Jordan led the charge for FUS, scoring 17 points, while Aliou Diarra, the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, picked up where he left off in Season 3 with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

BAL Action — **Yanick Moreira efforts were not enough as Petro fell to FUS Rabat. Pictures: The BTO**

Petro de Luanda, who is usually a good shooting team, struggled to create the space they needed on the floor to play their game. As a result, only two players put up double digits. “Tonight was not a good game. We got killed on offence and defence. We struggled to play as a team while the other team did,” Petro coach Jose Neto.

In the third quarter, Petro seemed to gain momentum, sparked by some steals by Childe Dundao, which led to back-to-back threes from Carlos Morais. Unfortunately, this was short-lived as the team closed out the quarter at an 11-point deficit.

Despite this defeat, Morais is still confident in his team’s ability to bounce back in their next game against the hosts, The Cape Town Tigers.

“We were very unlucky, but we have only lost one game. Our focus is to qualify for Kigali, and this loss does not change that,” said Morais.

Game 2: Dynamo spoils Tigers’ local debut

In a fully packed arena, Burundi’s Dynamo Basketball Club spoiled the Cape Town Tigers’ home opener with a 86-73 win. The Tigers struggled to share the ball and settled for desperate shots in the first half, going 5/18 beyond the arc and giving up 22 points in the paint. Which them at a 15-point deficit by halftime.

Despite a full-court press effort and some electrifying plays in the third by Samkelo Cele (26 points) and Billy Preson Jr (18 points), which cut the lead down to six, the team lost momentum as they became careless with the ball, leading to them being down 13 points by the end of the third.

“We did a good job of penetrating the paint, but that counts for nothing if we cannot convert. We didn’t protect the ball and struggled to play defence for a full 24 seconds,” remarked Cele.

Dynamo’s coach Julien Chaignot credited his players’ readiness for the moment. The French coach also acknowledged the importance of winning the first game, which is a good first step for the rest of the competition.

In the post-game presser, Burundi’s Bryton Hobbs spoke about the hard grind that brought them here, including training outdoors for six weeks, sometimes three times a day in the rain.

“We built chemistry over those six weeks, which has made us a tight-knit team. We are here to win.”

Hobbs’ 17 first-half points gave Dynamo a comfortable lead. However, his finesse and leadership shined bright in the second half as he got some good looks and dished out 7 assists.

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FUS Rabat look a promising outfit ahead of BAL debut

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FUS Rabat are making a first appearance in the Basketball Africa League (BAL). In this preview, The Big Tip Off delves into FUS and its journey to the continent’s premier club competition.

Team: FUS Rabat

Country: Morocco

History: FUS Rabat is Morocco’s most successful club, with 18 Division Excellence League titles and nine Moroccan Throne Cup trophies.

Despite their domestic success, they have surprisingly not participated in any continental competition.

Route To BAL: After 19 years without a league trophy, FUS were crowned champions of Morocco last year, earning a spot in the Road To BAL.

The North Africans would go on to make it to the playoffs of the Division West, beating Cameroon’s FAP in the third and fourth place game to guarantee themselves a spot in the BAL.

Said El Bouzidi coach FUS Rabat — **FUS Rabat coach Said El Bouzidi will lead the Moroccan club during the BAL. Pictures: FIBA**

Coach: Said El Bouzidi has coached in North Africa and the Middle East (Saudi Arabia). The Moroccan coach has a continental title to his name, which he won with AS Sale (2017). His other list of achievements includes four Moroccan Division Excellence titles and two Throne Cup titles, also won with Sale.

As coach of US Monastir (Tunisia), he won a Championnat A title (Tunisia’s premier league) in 2019.

With Bouzidi at the helm, FUS Rabat has a coach who has won at the highest level in club competition. He can help the Moroccan champions navigate the BAL.

Star player: Malian forward Aliou Diarra (22) is a young star playing on the continent, and FUS are reaping the rewards of his talent.

The former Stade Malien player helped lead the Moroccan club to qualify for their maiden BAL competition. Diarra’s scoring (13.3 points per game) and rebounding (9.8 rebounds per game) feats during FUS Rabat’s Road To BAL Division West qualification are a testament to his star quality.

Before moving to Morocco, he had an outstanding BAL Season 3 with Stade Malien, winning the Defensive Player of the Year. He also received the All-BAL First Team and BAL All-Defensive Team honours.

Should Diarra maintain the standard he set at last year’s BAL, the Moroccans can set the BAL on fire.

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