Beirut SC Outlast Club Africain 95–83 in Overtime Thriller at Dubai Basketball Championship

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 Beirut SC continued their strong run at the Dubai Basketball Championship 2026 with a hard-fought 95–83 overtime victory over Tunisia’s Club Africain on Monday afternoon.

It was not a pretty game.
It was not an easy game.
But it was a valuable one.

Against a physical Tunisian side filled with national team-level talent, Beirut showed maturity, composure, and late-game execution.

AJ English Takes Over

The story of the game starts with AJ English.

The veteran guard delivered a dominant performance:

  • 32 points

  • 7 rebounds

  • 4 assists

  • 31 efficiency rating

Whenever Beirut needed a bucket, English answered.

Whether attacking the rim, creating space off the dribble, or knocking down tough jumpers, English was the offensive engine that kept Beirut alive across regulation and ultimately pushed them over the top in overtime.



Jad El Hajj Orchestrates the Win

While English handled the scoring load, Jad El Hajj controlled the rhythm.

El Hajj finished with:

  • 20 points

  • 9 rebounds

  • 6 assists

His decision-making, pace, and leadership stood out, especially in the fourth quarter and overtime.

The English–El Hajj backcourt duo continues to look more comfortable with each game.

Simply put: that combo works.

Strong Supporting Cast

Beirut also received important contributions across the lineup:

  • Joe Zaloum: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists

  • Joe Abou Samra: 9 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists

  • Marwan Ziade: 6 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists

  • D. Hamilton: 20 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists

  • L. Jackson: 7 points in limited minutes

The box score may not jump off the page for everyone, but several of these contributions came at critical moments.

A Worthy Opponent

Club Africain came in with a roster that technically featured only one import, but the reality is more complex.

This Tunisian squad included 7–8 players with national team experience.

Notable performances:

  • Oussama Marnoui: 27 points

  • J. Haggins: 13 points, 11 rebounds

  • J. Jawadi 16 points, 4 rebounds

They played with toughness, rebounded aggressively, and forced Beirut to work for every basket.

This was not a friendly-level opponent.

What Stood Out

  • Beirut shot over 50% from the field

  • Beirut recorded 23 assists

  • Beirut won overtime 15–3

Late-game execution was the difference.

What Needs Improvement

Beirut can still get more from several rotation players.

Makhlouf, Hachem, and Zanbaka will need to step up offensively and defensively if Beirut wants to push deeper in this tournament.

The potential is there.
The consistency is not yet.

Big Picture

This win is bigger than the score.

It’s about chemistry.
It’s about learning to close games.
It’s about a young group gaining experience against international competition.

Beirut passed an important test.

And they’re clearly moving in the right direction.

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