ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - If there is a coach who has mastered the art of winning a Road to BAL game, it’s Fouad Bou Chakra.
A Basketball Africa League winner with Al Ahli Tripoli in 2025, Coach Chakra is on the verge of qualifying another Libyan team, Al Ittihad, for the 2027 BAL season, having rolled through the group stage of the West Division Elite 16 unbeaten (3-0).
Al-Ittihad's 79–59 victory over Espoir Basket Club on Thursday extended Coach Chakra's winning streak in the Road to BAL to 13 games, spanning two campaigns (2024 and 2026) to date.
Prior to the BAL title-winning run in 2025, Coach Chakra coached Al Ahli Tripoli went through the Road to BAL unbeaten with a 7-0 record.
Now with Al Ittihad, the team has so far played six games, and they are still perfect.
For Chakra, who won the 2025 BAL Coach of the Year award, the success is attributed to club management that wants to see the game in Libya grow.
“We [always] have team goals from the beginning of the season, and we have the management who want the best for the club and the best for the country, for Libya,” Chakra said.
“Thank God we have five players from the national team, Libyan players, and we succeeded in signing three good African players and two good Americans. So, our goal is to go as far as we can and to win the BAL again.”
Through the winning run, South Sudanese forward Deng Deng, home boy Mohamed Sadi and Cape Verde’s star forward Ivan Almeida have been with both teams at some stage.
“The expectation from coach [Chakra] is always winning. He always expects us to come here and win every game, and for us to do that is [to play] defense. You know, he always preaches to us about playing defense and obviously also rebounding,” Deng said.
“I know the style of play here, Africa in general, is a bit different. You know, it’s a very aggressive, physical game, and I believe we have had guys who are capable of doing the same,” he added.
Al Ittihad will qualify for the 2027 BAL season if they win their 2027 Road to BAL Elite 16 semifinal game on Saturday, November 14.
FIBA