Maktown Flyers Claim Historic First BAL Win Over JCA Kings

Maktown Flyers have their first Basketball Africa League win. The Nigerian champions defeated Ivory Coast’s JCA Kings 76-68 in Rabat, Morocco, on Friday, opening their Sahara Conference campaign with a result that sent a clear message about their readiness to compete at continental level.

The Flyers came out firing. Twenty-one of their first 22 points came from three-point range, with Tyrell Corbin hitting all three of his opening attempts beyond the arc inside the first six minutes. That early shooting spree set the tone, and Maktown carried a 46-38 lead into the half-time break.

Kings fight back but Flyers hold firm

JCA Kings briefly threatened in the second quarter with a 10-0 run that disrupted the Flyers’ rhythm, but the Nigerian side regrouped quickly. Head coach Abdulrahman Mohammed, a former Nigerian international, kept things simple during the fightback. “Keep doing what you were doing in the first quarter. Believe in yourselves and trust each other” was the message from the bench, according to MVP Ogbodeje Abah.

Abah, the 2025 Nigerian league Most Valuable Player, came off the bench to score 13 points and described the moment as personal. “This is a big win for Maktown, where I am from. It means a great deal to me, and I am very proud to be part of this team,” he said. Jawad Adekoya led all scorers with 20 points, while three other Flyers also finished in double figures.

From domestic obscurity to continental stage

The victory is a milestone for a club that barely registered on the Nigerian basketball radar before acquiring the rights of Lagos Legends shortly before the 2025 season. They went on to stun Rivers Hoopers 74-72 in the championship game and now share the continental stage with five other teams in the BAL Sahara Conference, running through May 3 in Rabat.

The Flyers were due back in action on Saturday against hosts FUS Rabat, while JCA Kings face Club Africain on Tuesday. The top four teams from the conference advance to the 2026 BAL Playoffs.

*Sources: Punch, Basketball Africa League*