BREAKING: Rivers Hoopers Target Africa Basketball League Trophy
Rivers Hoopers coach Ogoh Odaudu is confident that the team will make Nigeria proud at the 2025 Basketball Africa League, (BAL) Season 5 as they wrap up preparations for the competition.
The Nigerian champions are currently putting finishing touches to their preparations in Port-Harcourt ahead of their campaign in the competition.
Rivers Hoopers won all their 12 games in the 2024 Nigeria Premier Basketball League to win their sixth title, which further underscored their dominance in the league to qualify for the 2025 Basketball Africa League.
Odaudu, who has now led the team to two consecutive NBBF titles, said the team is ready to improve on their previous performances in the competition.
He said: “The last time we came third, we’re hoping that you can go out there and give a better performance. There are quite a couple of new teams, stronger teams coming around this time around, so I want to do our best to see what we can do to get into a better position. Third position is not a bad idea, but we want to go a step further this time around.”
Odaudu, who has been in charge of the team since 2009, has won six league titles with the Rivers Hoppers after winning the competition in 2011, 2012, 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2024.
The team has been bolstered with the signing of Congo DR national team captain Maxi Munanga Shamba to add quality ahead of the new season.
The 31 year old point guard has featured in the former club competition for men (FIBA Africa Champions Cup) before it transitioned to the BAL, for Lupopo (DR Congo), Zamalek (Egypt) and Association Sportive de Sale (Morocco) in 2009, 2013 and 2017 respectively.
In 2019 FIBA AfroCan, the 6’3 guard led his team to win the tournament and also finished as MVP.
Rivers Hoopers have been drawn in the Kalahari Conference of the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) season.
They will play against FUS Rabat of Morocco, Egypt’s Al Ittihad, and Stade Malien of Mali from 5-13 April at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat, Morocco.
The BAL is Africa’s premier basketball competition, organised by the NBA in partnership with FIBA.
