BAL Africa: Rivers Hoopers drawn in Group A

Ugochukwu Iwuchukwu

Nigeria’s representatives at the maiden edition of the Basketball Africa League, Rivers Hoopers have been drawn in Group A.

The Basketball Africa League made this known in an official announcement via their social media handle @thebal on Sunday.

Hoopers will face Patriots of Rwanda, Gendarmerie Nationale Basketball Club (GNBC) of Madagascar and US Monastir of Tunisia.

In Group B, AS Police of Mali, AS Sale of Morocco, FAP of Cameroon and Petro De Luanda of Angola.

In Group C, AS Douanes of Senegal, Ferravario of Mozambique, Zamalek of Egypt and GS Petroliers of Algeria.

BAL divided the 12 participating teams into three groups of four which will feature an 18-game group phase with a total of 26 games.

During the group phase, each team will face the three other teams in its group once.

The top eight teams from the group phase will qualify for the playoffs, which will be single elimination in all three rounds.

The three-time league Champions who have been training in Lagos for some days departed Nigeria for the Basketball Africa League in Kigali, Rwanda on Monday via Ethiopian Airlines.

The BAL will take place between May 16 and 30 at the Kigali Arena, Rwanda.