LUANDA (Angola) – As we look back on the greatest moments in African basketball in 2024, we tell the story of Petro de Luanda of Angola, a team that last lifted a continental trophy in 2015, prevailing in the now defunct African Champions Cup in their backyard.
Petro de Luanda of Angola is without a shadow of doubt one of the most dominant teams in Africa.
While they have enjoyed remarkable success both at domestic and at the continental level, the prestigious Basketball Africa League (BAL) remained a mere dream for three years.
Three times they knocked on the door of the continent's premier club competition, three years the door remained firmly shut. For Petro, it was a case of so close, yet so far.
The impediment remained very much the teams from North African who laid claim to the crown in its three opening years in a row.
But the inevitable happened when in June 2024, Petro de Luanda realised their long cherished dream at the iconic BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.
The Angolan powerhouse, the first and only team to reach four consecutive BAL Semi-Finals, also became the first from Sub-Sahara Africa to win the championship.
Zamalek of Egypt won the inaugural crown in 2021 and were followed by Tunisian club US Monastir in 2022 before another Egyptian side, Al Ahly SC, bagged one a year later.
Despite those near misses, the Luanda side was in the mix all along since the tournament’s inception.
They have an admirable record in the BAL.
In 2021 they placed third after beating Rwandese champions Patriots. They claimed the silver medal in 2022 after they fell 83-72 to US Monastir in the finals.
A year later, they missed a podium finish for the first time after falling 73-65 to Stade Malien of Mali in the battle for third place.
Petro's success in Angola has seen them win 16 national titles.
The feat is second only to fierce rivals Primeiro de Agosto, Africa's most successful club with eight continental titles, but they have yet to appear in the BAL due to Petro's current dominance of Angolan basketball.
In addition to BAL, Petro, founded in 1980, have won two continental titles - the FIBA African Championship Cup for men in 2006 and the BAL in 2024.
They announced the signing of Brazilian head coach Jose Neto in September 2020 and from there they began a dominating period on the national front.
Petro had a successful run in the BAL but they were stopped in the finals by Tunisian US Monastir.
Despite the loss to the Tunisians, Neto was named the 2022 BAL coach of the year.
In 2024, Petro, after struggling in the Kalahari Conference with a 2-2 record, appointed Spanish coach Sergio Valdeolmillos as head coach.
The change bore immediate fruits. Petro edged Senegalese side AS Douanes 66-65 in a closely-fought Quarter-Final.
The next step came the Semi-Finals against Cape Town Tigers. They stopped the South Africans 98-86 in a hard-fought tie that was decided in over-time to sail to the Finals.
Their final opponent was the debuting Al Ahly Ly. In a high scoring showdown watched by 6,404 roaring fans, Petro defeated the Libyans 107-94 to lift the trophy.
Petro manage a win in the ICC battle
The BAL success saw the Angolan side book their ticket to the 2024 FIBA Intercontinental Cup tournament in Singapore in September.
It was their first outing in the six-team show that also included Unicaja (Spain), NBA G League United (USA), Tasmania JackJumpers (Australia), Al Riyadi Beirut (Lebanon) and Quimsa (Argentina).
The 34th edition, hosted at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, saw Petro pooled in Group A against eventual winners Unicaja of Spain and Al Riyadi of Lebanon.
The Angolans lost two of their three group games. They went down 94-78 to Unicaja before suffering an 80-75 defeat to Al Riyadi.
The BAL champions then became the second African side to ever win a game in the event when they came from 13 point down to defeat Argentinian side Quimsa, 70-64. They finished the event in fifth position.
Unicaja defeated NBA G League United 75-60 in a closely fought final to bag their first championship.
FIBA