2023–24 Bangui Sporting Club season

The 2023–24 season of Bangui Sporting Club marks the debut season of the team in the Basketball Africa League (BAL), following their successful qualification through the Road to BAL. Bangui SC becomes the first team from the Central African Republic to play in the competition.

Overview[edit]

Bangui played in the Road to BAL following their 2023 Bangui Basketball League championship that was earned after beating New Tech Bantou in the finals.^[1] They were headed by Australian head coach Liz Mills in the qualification campaign.^[2] On November 4, 2023, Bangui clinched their spot in the 2024 BAL season.^[3] Bangui then wet on to win the West Division title after beating FUS Rabat.^[4]

Amidst financial issues and payment issues, coach Mills contract was not extended.^[5] On March 22, 2024, Justin Serresse was announced by the team as their new head coach.^[6] However, Serresse left the team over payment disputes^[5] and on the opening day on April 19, 2024, Cameroonian coach François Enyengue coached the team. Of the Road to BAL squad, four players remained (Evans Ganapamo, Rolly Fula Nganga, Jimmy Djimrabaye and Omega Ngaïfei) and eight new players were brought in.

Rosters[edit]

Road to BAL roster[edit]

The following was Bangui's roster for the Elite 16 round of the 2024 BAL qualification.

November 2024 Bangui Sporting Club roster

Players

Coaches

Pos.	No.	Name	Ht.	Age
F	1	Ganapamo, Evans	2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)	29 – (1994-08-19)19 August 1994
F	2	Kottaud, Jordao	1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)	30 – (1994-01-08)8 January 1994
PG	4	Johnson, Bijan	1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)	28 – (1996-02-23)23 February 1996
PF	7	Higgins-Titsha, Alex	2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)	23 – (2000-07-12)12 July 2000
G	8	Kamayengue, Yasser	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)	19 – (2005-04-16)16 April 2005
SG	10	Nambaï, Metson	1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)	29 – (1995-02-27)27 February 1995
F	14	Dondon, Elisée	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)	25 – (1998-06-29)29 June 1998
F	15	Fula Nganga, Rolly	2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)	31 – (1993-02-02)2 February 1993
F	22	Kouguère, Max	1.99 m (6 ft 6 in)	37 – (1987-03-12)12 March 1987
PF	24	Malou, Emmanuel	2.03 m (6 ft 8 in)	30 – (1993-11-03)3 November 1993
C	35	Djimrabaye, Jimmy	2.03 m (6 ft 8 in)	32 – (1992-04-08)8 April 1992
PF	84	Ngaïfei, Omega	2.04 m (6 ft 8 in)	22 – (2001-05-14)14 May 2001

Head coach

Liz Mills

Assistant coach(es)

Legend

(C) Team captain
Injured

Roster

Updated: 4 November 2023

BAL roster[edit]

Games[edit]

Road to BAL[edit]

First round[edit]

8 October 2023	Espoir	73–69	Bangui Sporting Club	Yaoundé
14:00	Scoring by quarter: 25-11, 26-16, 10-16, 12-26
	Pts: Essono Mvé 21 Rebs: Igouwe 8 Asts: Igouwe 4	Report	Pts: Fula Nganga 18 Rebs: Higgins-Titsha, Kouguère 7 Asts: Johnson 7	Arena: Yaoundé Multipurpose Sports Complex

9 October 2023	Lamantins	0–20	Bangui Sporting Club	Yaoundé
14:00
		Report		Arena: Yaoundé Multipurpose Sports Complex

10 October 2023	Bangui Sporting Club	82–39	Virunga	Yaoundé
17:00	Scoring by quarter: 20-8, 21-13, 14-12, 27-6
	Pts: Ganapamo 20 Rebs: Ganapamo, Higgins-Titsha 10 Asts: Johnson 5	Report	Pts: Monze Nzamba 13 Rebs: Bolangi Liseko 11 Asts: Four players 1	Arena: Yaoundé Multipurpose Sports Complex Referees: Hassane Kamate (CIV), Arnold Moseya (RSA), Emmanuel Kpawogbo (BEN)

12 October 2023	Bangui Sporting Club	88–87	FAP	Yaoundé
17:00	Scoring by quarter: 23-19, 24-26, 11-28, 30-14
	Pts: Johnson 20 Rebs: Higgins-Titsha 9 Asts: Djimrabaye 7	Report	Pts: Kome 25 Rebs: Njiki 13 Asts: Three players 4	Arena: Yaoundé Multipurpose Sports Complex Referees: Arnold Moseya (RSA), Emmanuel Kpawogbo (BEN), Mohamed Yaya Cisse (GUI)

Elite 16[edit]

31 October 2023	Bangui Sporting Club	88–79	SLAC	Yaoundé
17:00	Scoring by quarter: 29-20, 17-21, 17-22, 25-16
	Pts: Ganapamo 25 Rebs: Djimrabaye 11 Asts: Johnson 11		Pts: Hearst 23 Rebs: Gilbert 12 Asts: Hearst 7	Arena: Yaoundé Multipurpose Sports Complex Referees: Sara Elsharnouby (EGY), Claudio Eiuba (ANG), Oumar Sy (MRI)

1 November 2023	FUS Rabat	90–890(OT)	Bangui Sporting Club	Yaoundé
17:00	Scoring by quarter: 17-23, 21-19, 22-26, 22-14, Overtime: 8-7
	Pts: Jordan 28 Rebs: Diarra 9 Asts: Jordan 6	Report	Pts: Ganapamo 20 Rebs: Djimrabaye 11 Asts: Johnson 8	Arena: Yaoundé Multipurpose Sports Complex Referees: Walelign Gebeto (ETH), Emmanuel Kpawogbo (BEN), Papa Felix Seye (SEN)

2 November 2023	Bangui Sporting Club	83–70	ABC Fighters	Yaoundé
20:00	Scoring by quarter: 24-19, 23-14, 10-20, 26-17
	Pts: Kamayengue 24 Rebs: Kouguere 9 Asts: Three players 3	Report	Pts: Edosomwan 15 Rebs: Edosomwan 14 Asts: Westbrook 3	Arena: Yaoundé Multipurpose Sports Complex Referees: Sara Elsharnouby (EGY), Claudio Eiuba (ANG), Adlen Larouci (ALG)

Semifinal[edit]

4 November 2023	Al Ahly Benghazi	85–87	Bangui Sporting Club	Yaoundé
17:00	Scoring by quarter: 23-14, 29-32, 22-21, 11-20
	Pts: Hamad 20 Rebs: Majok 12 Asts: Crawford 6	Report	Pts: Ganapamo 22 Rebs: Kouguère 9 Asts: Johnson 5	Arena: Yaoundé Multipurpose Sports Complex Referees: Walelign Gebeto (ETH), Didier Gaga (RWA), Adlen Larouci (ALG)

Final[edit]

5 November 2023	Bangui Sporting Club	92–90	FUS Rabat	Yaoundé
17:00	Scoring by quarter: 21-20, 27-23, 21-24, 24-23
	Pts: Kamayengue 17 Rebs: Djimrabaye 10 Asts: Johnson 7	Report	Pts: Jordan 17 Rebs: Azouga 8 Asts: Jordan 8	Arena: Yaoundé Multipurpose Sports Complex Referees: Hassane Kamate (CIV), Claudio Eiuba (ANG), Emmanuel Kpawogbo (BEN)

BAL[edit]

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	L	GF	GA	GD	PCT	Qualification
1	Al Ahly (H)	6	5	1	544	470	+74	.833	Advance to playoffs
2	Al Ahly Ly	6	3	3	537	498	+39	.500^[a]	Advance to playoffs
3	Bangui SC	6	3	3	509	529	−20	.500^[a]	Possibly advance to the playoffs
4	City Oilers	6	1	5	468	561	−93	.167

Source: BAL
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
Notes:

^ ^a ^b Head-to-head: Al Ahly Ly and Bangui SC were tied 1–1 in their games, +19 point differential for Al Ahly Ly over these two games.

References[edit]

^ Sango, Ndjoni (2023-08-28). "RCA: Bangui Sporting Club devient champion de la ligue de Bangui saison 2023". Ndjoni Sango (in French). Retrieved 2023-09-17.
^ "DEFENSE! Coach Liz Mills has a plan for new BAL team Bangui SC". ESPN.com. 2023-09-14. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
^ "Bangui stun star-studded Benghazi to book first-ever BAL ticket". FIBA.basketball. 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
^ "Bangui win West Division Elite 16". FIBA.basketball. 2023-11-05. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
^ ^a ^b Solms, Leonard (2024-04-19). "Bangui lose second head coach as BAL campaign gets off to rocky start". ESPN. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
^ "Justin Serresse named head coach of BAL's Bangui S.C." Laurier Athletics - Waterloo Campus. 2024-03-22. Retrieved 2024-03-26.

[table_hth_AAL0.33519163743369-7] Head-to-head: Al Ahly Ly and Bangui SC were tied 1–1 in their games, +19 point differential for Al Ahly Ly over these two games.

[1] Sango, Ndjoni (2023-08-28). "RCA: Bangui Sporting Club devient champion de la ligue de Bangui saison 2023". Ndjoni Sango (in French). Retrieved 2023-09-17.

[:1-2] "DEFENSE! Coach Liz Mills has a plan for new BAL team Bangui SC". ESPN.com. 2023-09-14. Retrieved 2023-09-17.

[3] "Bangui stun star-studded Benghazi to book first-ever BAL ticket". FIBA.basketball. 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2023-11-06.

[4] "Bangui win West Division Elite 16". FIBA.basketball. 2023-11-05. Retrieved 2023-11-06.

[:2-5] Solms, Leonard (2024-04-19). "Bangui lose second head coach as BAL campaign gets off to rocky start". ESPN. Retrieved 2024-04-26.

[6] "Justin Serresse named head coach of BAL's Bangui S.C." Laurier Athletics - Waterloo Campus. 2024-03-22. Retrieved 2024-03-26.

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v t e 2024 BAL season
Qualification Playoffs Final Rosters
Kalahari Conference	Cape Town Tigers Dynamo FUS Rabat Petro de Luanda
Nile Conference	Al Ahly Al Ahly Benghazi Bangui Sporting Club City Oilers
Sahara Conference	APR AS Douanes US Monastir Rivers Hoopers