Despite falling short of reaching the Basketball Africa League (BAL) final, Rivers Hoopers are determined to end their campaign on a positive note, as they prepare to face Cape Town Tigers of South Africa in the third-place game on Friday.
The Nigerian champions made history by becoming the first team from their country to reach the BAL semifinals, where they were narrowly defeated by Libya’s Al Ahly Benghazi.
In the aftermath of the semi-final loss, Rivers Hoopers’ General Manager, Ifie Ozaka, delivered a motivational message to the players, urging them to move forward and focus on securing the bronze medal.
READ MORE: RIVERS HOOPERS FACE CAPE TOWN TIGERS IN BAL THIRD-PLACE BATTLE
“We are not down but proud of what we have achieved,” Ozaka stated. “Brace up Rivers Hoopers fans. It didn’t happen today but we fought. No need for blame game let’s focus on winning the 3rd place game.”
The KingsMen journey in the 2024 BAL has been quite remarkable as they defied expectations and etched their name in the history books as the first Nigerian team to reach the semifinals.
Rivers Hoopers will aim to build on their impressive run and end the competition on a positive note, while Cape Town Tigers will be looking to bounce back from their semi-final defeat and secure a strong finish in their BAL debut.
