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The bronze game will see the two sides that finished top of their respective conferences in the regular season facing off for what is left in the campaign for them.
Petro de Luanda will have to contend with playing in yet another third-place playoff in the Basketball Africa League on Friday in Kigali, Rwanda.
The Angolan side played and won in the same game two years ago in the first-ever BAL season but improved to second place last year.
If life and sport were linear, Petro's next step would have been to leave Kigali with this year's title.
10:28 - 25.05.2023
BAL How AS Douanes shocked Petro de Luanda to reach Basketball Africa League final
The pair of Jean Jacques Boissy and Marcus Crawford was unplayable for Petro and made it tough for every matchup thrown at them.
But Wednesday's semi-final defeat to AS Douanes means that the highest the season's favourites will finish this time round is third, and head coach Jose Neto revealed that it was important his side left the BAL stage on a high.
"It's not all lost. We still have something to fight for," Neto said after the loss on Wednesday.
The bronze game will see the two sides that finished top of their respective conferences in the regular season facing off for what is left in the campaign for them.
Malien topped the Sahara Conference with a 3-2 record, while Petro went unbeaten (5-0) in the Nile Conference and improved to a 6-0 record after the quarter-finals. The first loss of the season for the Angolan side came in the semis.
On the edge
The signs were there for all to see that defeat for Petro was looming. A close win against Al Ahly to end the Nile Conference was followed by a nervy one against Ferroviario da Beira in the quarter-final.
And Douanes were the better side in that semi-final clash, delivering the loss that subjected the continental giants to the bronze game.
12:46 - 25.05.2023
BAL Al Ahly overcame Stade Malien, but AS Douanes will ask questions
Al Ahly will carry the favourites' tag going into the final, but basketball games are won on court and not in the record books.
Three attempts and the BAL trophy remains elusive for Petro, who had stars Souleyman Diabate and Carlos Morais limited by Douanes on Wednesday.
Malien, on the other end, were underdogs against Al Ahly but fought until the end despite losing by five (78-73).
Petro will be the favourites, but Malien can fancy their chances.
Basketball Africa League
Third Place Playoff
Petro de Luanda vs. Stade Malien -Friday, 7pm
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