Having survived a rocky qualifying campaign in Morocco in April, Rivers Hoopers are back in the spotlight ahead of the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) playoffs, which run from June 6 to June 14 in Pretoria, South Africa. This marks the fifth edition of Africa’s premier men’s basketball league, and the Nigerian side’s third appearance. 

Rivers Hoopers’ route to the Season 5 playoffs wasn’t exactly a smooth ride. The Port Harcourt-based franchise finished second behind BAL debutants Al Ittihad Alexandria. The KingsMen were defeated convincingly by the Egyptian side in both encounters: 100–80 in the first match and 94–77 in the second.

Despite the stumbles, there’s optimism within the camp. The Hoopers finished third in the 2024 edition, their best showing so far, and they now have eyes on reaching the finals.

“We are all very confident,” head coach Ogoh Odaudu told ESPN. “All the players have that feeling. Management has that feeling, coaches have that feeling. So I think this is the year that we finally make that statement.”

To improve on the squad deficiencies made glaring in the losses to Al Ittihad, Odaudu,  a former Nigerian international who has led the KingsMen to six Nigeria Premier League (NPL) titles since taking charge in 2009, has bolstered his 12-man roster with key additions.

One of the headline additions is French-Guinean guard Ahmed Doumbia, who joins from France’s Pro B side Union Basket Chartres Metropole. The 6’5″ combo guard was instrumental in Guinea’s qualification for the 2025 AfroBasket, averaging 10 points in three games and contributing to two wins.

Also new to the roster is 6’8″ Nigerian forward Chingka Garba, who joins from Rwandan club Orion. These additions complement a core that includes athletic forward Madut Akec and veteran guard Kelvin Amayo.

The KingsMen begin their playoff campaign on Saturday, June 7, against US Monastir. The Tunisian side finished first in the Sahara Conference and are chasing a second BAL title in three years.