Algeria seals Arab basketball championship over Bahrain

Algeria secured the title at the 26th Arab Men’s Basketball Championship after edging host nation Bahrain 70-69 on August 1st in Manama, the Algeria-friendly outlet Algerie Patriotique reported on August 2nd.

The win gave Algeria its second-ever Arab championship, the first being won in 2005.

Despite trailing by nine points entering the final quarter (48-57), Algeria reversed the game’s momentum through aggressive defense and transition play. Guard Sofiane Briki contributed 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. “We stayed focused and stuck to the plan,” Briki said after the match.

Algeria also benefited from a standout performance by Mohamed Harat, who led all scorers with 19 points, including several crucial baskets late in the fourth quarter that helped close the gap and turn the tide. The team’s physical resilience and collective discipline were key to overturning the deficit.

With this win, Algeria extended its unbeaten run to six games, having already defeated Tunisia (86-81), UAE (99-61), Qatar (92-66), and Kuwait (86-74). The format—a single round-robin mini-league under the Arab Basketball Union—means the title is awarded to the top-ranked team after seven rounds. Algeria clinched the championship with one match remaining.

Bahrain, which hosted the event, led for much of the game and entered the final minutes with a narrow advantage. However, a series of turnovers and missed free throws proved costly in the closing stretch.

In other results from August 1, the UAE upset Egypt 86-82, while Qatar narrowly beat Kuwait 72-69.

Algeria’s final match will be against Egypt on August 2, a formality for the standings but a potential test for consistency. Head coach Ali Bouziane, a member of Algeria’s 2005 title-winning team, is now the first to win the Arab Championship as both player and coach.

Algerie Patriotique, Maghrebi.org