TUNIS (African Champions Cup) - Etoile Sportive Rades head coach Linos Gavriel said earlier this week that his team was an outsider without pre-established objectives at the 2014 African Champions Cup (ACC) in Tunis, Tunisia.

He insisted that the Tunisian club's debut at FIBA Africa's elite club competition was all about participating and learning from the experience.

Whatever he meant by that speech, the truth is that Etoile Sportive learned very fast and reached the ACC Final after beating Egyptian side Sporting Alexandria 93-80 in Friday's Semi-Finals. Mohamed Abbassi had 19 points to lead the way.

Rades' reward is a showdown with Angolan champions Recreativo do Libolo in Saturday's title game.

The Tunisian club finished FIBA Africa Zone 1 qualifier undefeated in seven games earlier this month, and are not showing signs of slowing down.

Gavriel's team is tipped as favourite to scoop its first ACC title, especially after beating all seven of their opponents so far - including a memorable 86-82 Group B overtime win over ACC reigning champions Primeiro D'Agosto - before reaching the Final.

Rades' last obstacle to glory goes by the name of Libolo, an ambitious Angolan team, which  reached the title game with a 6-0 record, even though they lost to Malabo Kings in their tournament opener, but were awarded a win following a FIBA Africa sanction on the Kings.

Both Libolo and Rades finished the Preliminary-Round as winners of their respective groups.

On Friday, Libolo, sparked by Angolan international Eduardo Mingas, got past hosts Club Africain 84-63, and, just like Etoile Sportive Rades, will play in their first-ever ACC Final.

The Angolans led 42-28 at half-time. 

Libolo's forward Mingas finished with game-highs of 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Luis Costa and Valdelicio Joaquim added 17 points apiece to deny Club Africain - who ousted D'Agosto in Thursday's Quarter-Finals - a chance of playing the Final in front of their home fans.

Instead Club Africain will battle against Sporting Alexandria in Saturday's Third-Place Game on Saturday.

After beating Union Sportive Monastir 75-62 in their Group B opener, D'Agosto will face the Tunisians again in the fifth-place battle.

The Angolans edged out AS Mazembe 67-59 on Friday, while Monastir trounced M'Tsapere 97-65. The loser of these two encounters will compete for the eighth-place finish. 

Earlier in the day, Nigerian side Mark Mentors Basketball Club saw off Malabo Kings 91-85 to finish ninth, while the Equatorial Guinean finished 10th ahead of Ivoirian side Abidjan Basketball Club, who lost all their six games.

FIBA