Rivers Hoopers head coach Ogoh Odaudu has attributed his team’s underwhelming performance at the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) to a lack of competitive matches in the run-up to the tournament.
Speaking after their disappointing campaign, Odaudu explained that while other teams came into the BAL in peak form, the Kingsmen were still trying to regain match fitness. He pointed out that the team had not played a competitive game since their appearance at the Kalahari Conference in Morocco back in April.
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“We played against US Monastir, who had just come off a championship game—even though they lost, they’ve been in action consistently. APR are still active in their domestic league. Meanwhile, the Rivers Hoopers have not played competitively since Morocco,” he said.
Odaudu expressed hopes that the Nigeria Basketball Federation would address the issue in the future, allowing Nigerian clubs to enter continental tournaments in better shape.
He also confirmed plans to improve the squad ahead of future outings: “We need a better roster and that’s something we’re going to work towards. We can’t keep coming to the BAL trying to get into game shape during the tournament. That has to change.”
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