OFFICIAL: Rivers Hoopers qualify for 2025 BAL Playoffs in Pretoria

Nigerian Basketball Champions Rivers Hoopers have officially qualified for the Basketball Africa League (BAL) playoffs in Pretoria with two more games to play in the Kalahari Conference.

Rivers Hoopers sealed their qualification with a spirited performance, completing a double over FUS Rabat by securing a thrilling 79-71 win over the hosts on Thursday after defeating them 88-82 the first time both teams played on April 6.

The result meant that Rivers Hoopers remained second place in the Kalahari Conference standings with three wins and one loss while leaders Al Ittihad Alexandria maintained their top spot by defeating Stade Malien 91-68, completing four wins in four games.

📊 Kalahari Conference Standings after Round 4

Al Ittihad 🇪🇬 and Rivers Hoopers 🇳🇬 are officially BAL Playoffs bound but the race for first place and best third spot is still on! pic.twitter.com/XGBFRkN5Fr
— Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) April 11, 2025

With two games left to play, the race is still on for first place and best third spot as Rivers Hoopers battle against unbeaten leaders Al Ittihad Alexandria on Saturday, April 12 while FUS Rabat face Stade Malien on the same day, hoping to secure the best third spot ahead of the Malians.

The Basketball Africa League playoffs in Pretoria is scheduled to hold from June 6-14, 2025 and the Kingsmen will be eager to contend for the title. In the 2024 edition, the Nigerian Champions finished third, defeating Cape Town Tigers 80-57 in the bronze medal game.

Reacting to qualifying for the playoffs, Coach Ogoh Odaudu expressed his excitement but reemphasised the team’s motive to surpass their third-place finish from the previous year: “It feels really good to qualify for the finals again. It is the highest basketball 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,” he 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 in third last year, we are hoping that we are going to go a step further.”

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