PREVIEW (4 April) - There's nothing like must-win games

The 2026 Kalahari Conference reached its climax on the penultimate day in Pretoria, with two teams facing must-win scenarios.

After the RSSB Tigers and Petro de Luanda secured two of the four play-off spots on Friday, two more teams – Dar City and Al Ahly Ly – could do the same if they win on Saturday.

Both teams currently have a record of 2–2. 

To secure their place in Kigali, Dar City, the Tanzanian champions, must beat the RSSB Tigers, the only undefeated team in the conference so far. The Tigers have won all three of their games.

'What else can we do? We have one more game to win; there is no other option,' admitted Dar City guard Daniel Utomi after their second consecutive conference loss. 

To advance to the postseason, the Libyan champions, Al Ahly Ly, must beat the Johannesburg Giants.

“It feels great to be 2–2,” said Al Ahly Libyan Small Forward Donovan Williams. He also reflected on how they fought back from 0–2 at the start of the season to now be in a position to potentially qualify for the playoffs. 

He said: 'We were really worried about the first two games, but we played two great teams at the start of the BAL season. They showed us where we were and that we needed to work harder.”

If Dar City (2–2) and Al Ahly Ly (2–2) win their games on Saturday, they will both improve their records to 3–2 and qualify for the play-offs, ending any chance for the Nairobi City Thunder, who are 1–3. 

Should both Dar City and Al Ahly Ly lose on Saturday, they will have to wait for the outcome of Sunday's game between RSSB Tigers and Nairobi City Thunder.