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The HOOPPERS Rivers have landed in Pretoria, South Africa, before the finals of Bal 5 season, which are sighted on Friday, June 6 at the Sunbet Arena.
Nicknamed The Kingsmen, the club based in Port Harcourt is one of the eight elite franchises that compete for continental supremacy and the prestigious title of African champions.
Eight teams, a crown
Directed by chief coach Ogoh Odaudu, the Hoopepers will compete along with some of the best teams in Africa:
AL AHLI (Libya) – Classified No. 1
TO ITTIHAD (Egypt) – Classified No. 2
US Monastir (Tunisia) – Classified No. 3
Rivers HOOPPERS (Nigeria) – Classified No. 4
Petro de Luanda (Angola)
AP (Rwanda)
Rabat Fus (Morocco)
KRIOL STAR (Cape Verde)
The HOOPERS were classified for the finals after finishing second in the qualifiers of the Kalahari conference at the beginning of the year.
Building about bronze success
The HOOPPERS Rivers are entering the finals strongly, hoping to improve their third place in the 2024 edition held in Kigali, Rwanda.
A victory in South Africa would be the best team final since the beginning of the BAL in 2021.
Key players to see
The team’s core includes several outstanding artists of the Kalahari conference:
Madut Akec – Annotation leader, 17.8 ppg
Peter Olisemeka – rebound leader, 11.0 rpg
Kelvin Amayo – Assistance Leader, 6.6 APG and leader robberies, 2.0 SPG
Raphael Putney – Block leader, 1.7 BPG
His list was further strengthened last month with the firm of Chingka Garba, a dominant striker of Orion Basketball Club de Ruanda.
Bal 2025 Final schedule
Dates: June 6-14, 2025
Place: Sunbet Arena, Pretoria, South Africa
Format: Eight teams fight through knockout rounds to determine the Bal champion
Regional representation
The HOOPPERS Rivers are still the only representatives of Western Africa in the BAL finals and are flying the Flag of Nigeria with pride.
The team is pointing to an inaugural appearance in the final game, an important milestone in Nigerian basketball.
