Rivers Hoopers intensify BAL prep in Lagos

Six-time Nigerian champions Rivers Hoopers are in Lagos to continue their preparations for the fifth season of the Basketball Africa League which dunks off with Conference Playoffs on Saturday, April 5, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The KingsMen arrived in Lagos on Sunday and would be involved in some friendly games before departing for Rabat, Morocco on Wednesday.

The 2024 BAL bronze medallists are drawn in the Kalahari Conference where they will play against FUS Rabat of Morocco, Egypt’s Al Ittihad, and Stade Malien of Mali at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat, Morocco.

Rivers Hoopers will open their campaign this season against Stade Malien on Saturday, April 5.

Ahead of their final phase of preparations before departing, the Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Sports, Kelvin Nweke, has charged the team to surpass their third-place finish in last season’s BAL.

“On behalf of the ministry and the state government. We are promising you the best of support,” Nweke said in Port Harcourt on Sunday.

“We are expecting you to go a step forward from last year’s result. Success is not easy. It is easy to get to the top but staying at the top is more difficult.’’

The team has also completed the signing of five players ahead of the new season to achieve their target.

Canada-born Nigerian combo guard Kelvin Amayo as well as Peter Olisemeka, who were instrumental to the team’s historic third-place finish at the last edition made a return to the team.

The KingsMen also signed Dr Congo’s point guard Maxi Shamb, South Sudan small forward Madut Akec and American Raphiael Putney.

Rivers Hoopers will be making their third appearance at the 2025 BAL. They featured in the inaugural season held in 2021 and last season’s edition, where they finished third.

After setting a Nigerian record last year, Rivers Hoopers coach Ogoh Odaudu has said the team’s ambition at this year’s BAL was to go one better by reaching the final or even win the coveted trophy.

“Amadou Gallo Fall personally approached me and said, hey, you guys have to go and build on all of this that you just did, otherwise, it will all be a waste,” Odaudu told ESPN.

“This is why it is such a great feeling for us to know that we are going back. It means a lot to me because we didn’t want to miss out on qualifying. After all, then it would mean that whatever it is that we achieved the previous BAL was just a fluke. So we really wanted to go back and build on it.”