DAKAR, Senegal -- Defending Basketball Africa League (BAL) champions Petro de Luanda got their 2025 campaign off to a strong start on Saturday with a comfortable 103-74 win over debutants Kriol Star.
Earlier in April, Al Ittihad had thrown down the gauntlet by breezing through the Kalahari Conference in Rabat with a 6-0 record, the onus was on Petro to prove that they are strong enough to defend their title. In a competitive Sahara Conference, set to run until May 4, Petro headed into the game knowing they could take nothing for granted.
With Carlos Morais having captained the Angolan champions through their first four BAL seasons, this was Petro's first game in the league without him on the roster. Having played a diminished role last season, the 39-year-old guard joined local rivals Interclube in January 2025, marking the end of an era.
"It's strange because I played with Carlos Morais for 10 years, so it's hard to play without him," Petro's Aboubacar Gakou acknowledged in the mixed zone after the game. "This is basketball. Sometimes you've got to do this. I miss Carlos Morais, but right now, we've got a job to do."
The defending champions began the first page of their new chapter well, with Yanick Moreira scoring the first four points of the game and Petro going 11-2 up before Cape Verde's Kriol Star began to gain a foothold.
League debutants Kriol Star were without injured point guard Patrick McGlynn. Richaud Pack scored the Cape Verdean side's first seven points, reducing the deficit to 13-7.
Petro regained their composure after a timeout with Aboubacar Gakou dominating the scoring late in the first quarter. By the end of the quarter, Petro led 24-14.
E.J. Anosike played a major role in the second quarter as Petro extended their lead to 45-30, with Pack and Ivan Almeida ensuring Kriol Star stayed in the contest.
Petro all but put the game to bed early in the third quarter with a 12-2 run to stretch the lead to 25. Coming back from there was always going to be a huge ask, particularly given that the BAL is a physical league utilising FIBA rules and not known for high scores.
Kriol Star continued to play with pride and reduced the lead to 71-51 at the end of the quarter. Joel Almeida hit his stride as the game progressed, with Anderson Correia also in form. Kriol Star kept the score respectable, but Petro ensured that they responded to most of the blows that landed.
Glofate Buiamba was in superb form as Petro responded to Kriol Star's run by dominating the fourth quarter. Gakou continued to chip away and reaching 19 points - the highest of any player in the early game. Pack led the scoring for Kriol Star with 17.
Kriol Star will play hosts ASC Ville de Dakar on Sunday while Petro face Monastir.
Joel Almeida emphasised turnovers as a key area to work on ahead of the clash with the hosts, saying in the post-match press conference: "Petro came here and executed better. When you turn the ball over 25 times, it's hard to win any basketball match."
As they wait for word on McGlynn's fitness, Kriol Star will at least be relieved that the first-game nerves are out of the way, while Petro - although not quite at their best defensively - proved that they are still one of the teams to beat.
The BAL airs on ESPN's channel in Africa (DStv 218 and 219, Starsat 248).