City Oilers concluded their Nile Conference campaign in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) without securing a playoff spot, ending at the bottom of the standings in Cairo, Egypt.
The Oilers managed only one victory in six Nile conference group matches, facing five defeats along the way. In their final showdown against Al Ahly Benghazi, City Oilers had a slim chance of clinching third place in the conference with a victory by more than 11 points.
Despite a promising start with a tied first quarter at 20-20, Al Ahly managed to pull ahead by 12 points at halftime and sustained their lead throughout the match. City Oilers encountered difficulties in shooting accuracy, rebounds, and turnovers, missing 20 out of 30 attempts from beyond the arc, being out-rebounded 34-46, and committing 16 turnovers.
With the top two teams from each conference advancing directly to the playoffs, and the two best third-place teams from all three conferences also securing playoff berths, City Oilers fell short of securing a spot in the eight-team playoff lineup.
The team’s management and fans are left disappointed with the outcome but remain optimistic about future opportunities to showcase their talent on the continental stage.