Giant-killers, Rivers Hoopers of Nigeria, will go into today’s semifinal against Al Ahly Benghazi of Libya knowing that only a win will guarantee them opportunity to become the first West African team to win the Basketball Africa League (BAL).
Rivers Hoopers caused the biggest upset of the ongoing competition in Kigali, Rwanda, when they defeated former champions, US Monastir in the quarterfinals on Monday.Today, they will face an Al Ahly side, who also have title ambitions.
Speaking ahead of today’s semifinals, Rivers Hoopers’ Coach, Ogoh Odaudu, said his team had utmost respect for all the teams in the last four of the championship, adding, however, that they would approach the game against Al Ahly as if it is a World Cup final.
“This has been a tough championship, where none of the quarterfinals was won by a blowout. So, every game will be very difficult, and you don’t expect to have an easy ride at this level. The players are good, the teams are good, and we are happy that we are in the semifinal.
“All the teams in the semifinal are tough customers, but we will continue to play our game without minding what others are doing.” Rivers Hoopers qualified for the semifinals for the first time by beating Tunisia’s US Monastir 92-88, while Angola’s Petro de Luanda edged Senegal’s AS Douanes 66-65 to join them.
This means that all former BAL champions are now out of the tournament, and three of the four semifinalists are not from North Africa. The three previous editions were won by Egyptian or Tunisian teams, leaving it up to Al Ahly of Libya to represent the north of the continent.
Odaudu will still rely on the prowess of Kelvin Amayo and Perry to sink the Libyans. On his team’s chances of getting to the final, Perry said: “We have super smart guys on the team (and) a super humble coach that lets everybody speak and lets the ideas flow, so to be honest, it’s a combination of really smart players and coaches and then everyone has humility.
“We take the best idea to get up the court and execute it. We are good to go in the semifinals.” In the quarterfinals, Perry finished with 33 points and Amayo and Peter Olisemeka 18 apiece, while Devine Eke got 16.
Odaudu will expect his top stars to show up in the semifinal against a Libyan side that defeated Egypt’s Al Ahli to make the last four of the championship.
In the other semifinal, Angola’s Petro de Luanda will meet South Africa’s Cape Town Tigers in an all-Southern African encounter.
