Ike Diogu, a Nigerian international, was the top scorer for Zamalek in the opening game of BAL Nile Conference in Cairo. This led to the Egyptian side winning an 80-62 victory over South Sudanese outfit Cobra Sports.
The scoreline was a bit misleading in that the defending BAL champions had been pushed for most of the game by the young Sudanese side. Cobra did not manage to lead the game in front of a large Cairo crowd.
As the fourth quarter progressed, Zamalek’s veteran players led by Diogu (17 points) and DJ Strawberry (14 points), emerged to take the lead to win the game for Manny Berberi’s side.
Diogu, who scored 10 out of Zamalek’s 16 first-half points, admitted after the game that Cobra debutants at BAL were likely harder than they thought, especially considering the score of 35 to 28 at the half.
ESPN quoted the D’Tigers captain as saying: “It’s the first game so we got all our jitters out. It was against a very talented team, an athletic team, so I’m happy we were able adjust.
Both sides were quite lazy in the first period, with many shots failing to land than falling. Both sides will be worried about three-pointers and free throws, as neither side is able to hit beyond the arc 25 percent of times.
Diogu also spoke out about his scoring slump, adding seven points in three quarters after his initial surge.
“I missed a few shots and I’m not someone who forces shots so I took what was offered to me by the defense. I’m happy for our team to win the game.
Cobra Sports’ average age of 23 was a sign that they lack the experience and knowledge to manage pressure in the last minutes. Zamalek allowed them to be rewarded for their constant effort to fill the Hassan Moustafa Sports Hall full of noise with chanting, singing, jeering and whistling.
Anas Mahmoud from the inaugural BAL season was a favourite. He batted away the ball with relative ease from the Cobras’ hoop. He also displayed his class by making contributions at the other end, adding 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Mayan Kiir, an Australian native who played college basketball in New Mexico State from last year to his present day, was the Cobras’ standout player. After scoring 18 points in the game, he told media that he was disappointed by his team’s inability score consistently.
Cobra Sport faces Petro de Luanda, Angolan champions, on Tuesday. Zamalek will take on Cape Town Tigers later in the night.