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Basketball: Rivers Hoopers To Face US Monastir In BAL Season 5 Seeding Game

Our Reporters2 days ago2 days ago03 mins

2024 Basketball Africa League [BAL] bronze-medallists Rivers Hoopers will face Union Sportive Monastirienne at the placement tie on Saturday, June 7, ahead of the quarter-finals in Pretoria, South Africa. According to the Playoffs Team Ranking, the six-time Nigerian League Champions who sealed consecutive Playoffs appearances by finishing second in the Kalahari Conference with a 4-2 mark, were ranked fourth overall on the rankings. While nine-time Tunisian champions, US Monastir who topped the Sahara Conference standings, were ranked third overall. Both teams finished with identical records for four wins and two losses from their respective conferences. This will be the fifth meeting between Rivers Hoopers and US Monastir in BAL history, with the previous four meetings evenly split at two wins apiece. En route to finishing third at BAL Season 4, Rivers Hoopers and US Monastir met three times; twice in the Sahara Conference where both teams won one game each, before the KingsMen knocked out the 2022 champions in an electrifying quarter-final showdown. Monastir had earlier beaten Rivers Hoopers in their first ever meeting during the Group phase of the inaugural BAL season. The fifth installment of what has grown to be one of the oldest and fiercest BAL rivalries is billed to take place on Saturday, 7th June, 2025. Meanwhile, top two teams from each of the three conferences (Sahara, Nile, and Kalahari) qualified for the playoffs, along with the top two third-place teams across the three conferences. In the Basketball Africa League (BAL), seeding games are played before the playoffs to determine the playoff bracket matchups and seeding for the single-elimination playoffs. The placement ties will feature the following matchups:1st – 2nd seed: Al Ahli vs Al Ittihad3rd – 4th seed: US Monastir vs Rivers Hoopers5th – 6th seed: Petro de Luanda vs APR7th – 8th seed: Kriol Star vs FUS Rabat The outcome of these matches will determine the final seeding for the quarter-finals. The BAL Season 5 Playoffs will run from 6th-14th June, 2025, starting with the seeding games on Friday, 6th June. All games will be played at the SunBet Arena, Pretoria, South Africa.

Rivers Hoopers Intensify Preparations In Abuja Ahead of Pretoria Playoffs

Our Reporters2 weeks ago2 weeks ago05 mins

2024 bronze-medallist Rivers Hoopers have arrived in Abuja to continue preparations for the Basketball Africa League playoffs which dunks off in Pretoria, South Africa from Friday, June 6. The KingsMen will look to better their 2024 BAL appearance as they prepare in the country’s capital before travelling to South Africa. The six-time Nigerian champions were drawn in the Kalahari Conference where they played 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 were runners-up at the Kalahari Conference, winning four of its six games, losing twice to eventual conference winners, AL Ittihad Alexandria. Despite clinching the BAL playoff ticket in April with a game to spare, coach of the side Ogoh Odaudu acknowledged the team needs to put in the work to reach their tournament target at the playoffs in June “We need to up the ante to compete in South Africa. I see the amount of work we have to put in for us to be better in South Africa. We have the time to do all that and hopefully, we will come out better,” Odaudu said. “We came in third last year. We are hoping that we are going to go a step further. Everybody wants that for us; they have pushed us, and we want to go a step further than what we did last year.” So far at the BAL 2025, the foreign professionals have been instrumental in the team’s success, improving the quality of the team and value of tournament numbers. Canadian-born Nigerian combo guard Kelvin Amayo as well as Peter Olisemeka, who were instrumental in the team’s historic third-place finish at the last edition have been immense in the 2025 edition. Amayo led the assists and steals’ chart with six and two per game respectively, while Olisemeka sits at the summit of rebounds made, 11 per game at the Kalahari Conference in Rabat. Dr Congo’s point guard Maxi Shamba, South Sudan forward Madut Akec and American Raphiael Putney have also been instrumental in the Rivers Hoopers success so far in 2025. Rivers Hoopers will be making their second successive playoff appearance at the BAL. They featured in last season’s edition, where they finished third. After making it to successive BAL playoffs, Rivers Hoopers coach Ogoh Odaudu has said the team’s ambition is to be “greedy” and go one better than last year. “It feels really good to qualify for the finals again. It is the highest basketball league in Africa and everybody in Africa wants to be there,” Odaudu said. “Right from the get go, our target was to make the playoffs. Now we have made the playoffs we are going to get greedy. We came third last year, we are hoping that we are going to go a step further.”

Chingka Garba Joins Rivers Hoopers Ahead of BAL Season 5 Playoffs

Our Reporters2 weeks ago2 weeks ago01 mins

Rivers Hoopers have completed the signing of Chingka Garba for the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) playoffs in Pretoria, South Africa. Garba joins the KingsMen from Orion Basketball Club in Rwanda, where he proved his mettle as one of the most efficient players in the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL). He also starred for Gboko City Chiefs during the 2024 Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) where he averaged near double-doubles, leading to his inclusion in the league’s All-star 5. At 6’8”Garba brings size, mobility, on-court intelligence, and an aggressive style of play that’s expected to give the KingsMen a new dynamic in both offense, , ahead of the BAL season 5 playoffs billed to hold between 6th-14th June, in Pretoria, South Africa.

BAL: Rivers Hoopers Cruise Past Stade Malien to Wrap Kalahari Conference in Style

Our Reporters2 months ago2 months ago03 mins

Rivers Hoopers concluded their Kalahari Conference campaign in an emphatic fashion with a 79-59 blowout win over Stade Malien, stamping their dominance as they head into the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Playoffs in Pretoria, South Africa. Having already secured qualification to the playoffs of the 2025 BAL, the KingsMen stepped onto the court with nothing to prove but a lot to affirm, and it was done neatly. From the tip-off, the Hoopers set the tone, controlling the tempo and keeping Stade Malien in check with a stifling defense that held the Malian side to just 28.6% shooting from the field. The Nigerian side, on the other hand, shot a solid 45.3% and displayed their growing team chemistry. Raphael Putney was the spark plug for the Hoopers, dropping 15 points in under 19 minutes with clinical efficiency knocking down five of his eight attempts at a 62% clip. Putney was ably supported by Madut Akec, whose hustle on both ends saw him finish with 14 points on 46% shooting. Off the bench, Micheal Afuwape provided instant offense, scoring 13 points in just 14 minutes and converting 80% of his shots, including a perfect 3-for-3 from the line. Abel Chidiebere Offia added 9 points and Ifeanyi Anthony dropped 9 points and 3 rebounds in 20 minutes. Rivers Hoopers also outplayed Stade Malien beyond the arc, making nine of their 30 three-point attempts (30%), while Stade Malien managed just 9-of-37 (24.3%). The Hoopers’ ball movement, defensive rotations, and bench depth were simply too much for their opponents. With this win, Rivers Hoopers closed out the Kalahari Conference with a 4-2 record and firmly focused on their next stop Pretoria, South Africa, where the best of the continent will battle for glory in the BAL Playoffs.

Rivers Hoopers Through to Basketball Africa League Playoffs

Our Reporters2 months ago2 months ago03 mins

Rivers Hoopers have secured their place in the Basketball Africa League Playoffs by defeating FUS Rabat, and will next face Al-Ittihad of Egypt in a crucial match on Saturday. For a second consecutive season, Nigeria’s representatives at season five of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) have qualified for the Playoffs holding in Pretoria, South Africa from 6-14 June. Rivers Hoopers defeated FUS Rabat 79-71 on Thursday night to move to a 3-1 mark on the Kalahari Conference table. With two games left to play, the KingsMen are second on the table behind Al-Ittihad of Egypt (4-0). While FUS Rabat sit third with a 1-3 record and Stade Malien on 0-4 mark. The KingsMen will battle the Egyptian champions for the first place while FUS and Stade Malien will slug it out for the third spot. Rivers Hoopers head coach Ogoh Odaudu is excited to have qualified for the 2025 BAL Playoffs with two more games to go. ”It feels really good to qualify for the finals again. It is the highest basketball stage in Africa, and everybody in Africa wants to be there. I am really, really happy that we are there now. We hope to take some time off to celebrate. ”Right from the get-go our target was to make the playoffs. Now that we have made the playoffs, we are going to get greedy,” he stated. Odaudu said the current target of the team is to go past their previous record of a third-place finish. ”We came in third last year. We are hoping that we are going to go a step further. Everybody wants that for us; they have pushed us, and we want to go a step further than what we did last year. ”Right now we are enjoying the victory of last night and will get back to work this evening.” Rivers Hoopers will next play Egyptian champions Al-Ittihad on Saturday at 4pm WAT.

Rivers Hoopers Move One Step Closer to BAL Playoffs

Our Reporters2 months ago2 months ago02 mins

Rivers Hoopers look set to seal their spot in the playoffs of the Basketball Africa League season five after a dramatic 79-71 victory over Morocco’s FUS Rabat on Thursday. Despite trailing for the better part of three quarters, the Hoopers staged one of the most impressive comebacks of the conference, dominating the fourth quarter. Madut Akec led the way with a standout performance of 17 points and 8 rebounds, while Raphiel Putney contributed 14 crucial points, including key baskets in the final quarter. Peter Olisemeka was rock solid in the paint, posting a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Maxi Munanga Shamba added 11 points. Kelvin Amayo was instrumental all-around with 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. “We had scouted them, so we knew what they could do and what they couldn’t do. All in all, it was down to determination and who wanted it most because it put us in a great position to qualify for South Africa for the playoffs,” said Rivers Hoopers head coach Ogoh Odaudu. The Kingsmen will next face Al-Ittihad Alexandria in their fifth game of the Kalahari Conference on Saturday before playing against Stade Malien on Sunday. The Rivers Hoopers are now set to join the continent’s elite in South Africa for the main phase of the Basketball Africa League, marking a major achievement for Nigerian basketball.