Going for three

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THE SEMI-FINALS of the African Basketball Clubs Championship start today at Ahli club in Gezira. The eight-team tournament began on Saturday with an impressive win for the host team over Senegal's AS Douanes 76-58 (photo).

Ahli play in Group A with Douanes, Nigeria's Cements and Angola's Petro Atletico. Group B includes the defending champions De Agosto of Angola, Stade Mali, Abidjan BC of Ivory Coast and BC Onatra of Congo DC. Congo DC forfeited the opening match after failing to show up and were thus forced to withdraw from the championship.

Ahli were crowned African champions twice, in 1998 and 2001. Head coach Ashraf Tawfiq who led the team to its two continental titles, said he "hopes to make it three despite tough competition, especially from Angola".