Al Ittihad of Libya won an international friendly tournament in Damascus on Friday 16 October, edging Union of Alexandria 88-85 at the Al Fayhaa hall. The three-point victory over the Egyptian side concluded a short trip to Syria and handed the Libyan club a morale-boosting trophy before the Road to BAL qualifiers.
Al Ittihad controlled the game from the opening quarter, leading 19-18 after ten minutes and 45-42 at the break. The Libyan side extended their advantage to 67-59 by the end of the third quarter, but Union of Alexandria staged a late fightback, cutting the gap to 80-79 with two minutes left before levelling at 81-81. Al Ittihad held on to win by three.
Both finalists had advanced through the semi-finals with comfortable wins. Al Ittihad beat Lebanon's Antranik 112-99, while Union of Alexandria defeated the same opponent's fellow Lebanese side Sharjah 86-72.
The Damascus trophy does not bring qualification for the Basketball Africa League. Al Ittihad must still progress through the Road to BAL, starting on 21 October at the main hall in Tripoli. The Libyan club will face Stade Malien, Algeria's Staouéli and Kriol Star of Cape Verde, with the top two in each group advancing to the Elite 16. The match against Kriol Star is scheduled for Thursday 22 October at 18:30 local time.
