NGR - FIBA Africa Zone-3 Qualifiers: Nigerian team seeded

LAGOS (FIBA Africa Zone-3 Club Qualifiers) - The draw for the FIBA Africa Zone-3 qualifiers was made Tuesday night at the conference room of Union Bank Sports Club, Lagos, Nigeria with the eight teams from five countries in the zone divided into two groups of four teams.

Nigeria Union Bank basketball club and host of the qualifiers was the seeded team n group-A while Nigeria Premier league champion, Kano Pillars was seeded in group-B.

Other clubs that will play alongside Union Bank in group-A are Energie basketball club of Cotonuo, Benin Republic; Swallows basketball club of Lome, Togo and N.P.A Pythons basketball club of Monrovia, Liberia.

To square it out with Kano Pillars basketball club in group-B are Phenix basketball club of Cocody, Cote d’Ivoire; ASPAC basketball club of Cotonuo, Benin Republic and Racing basketball club of Lome, Togo.

Representative of Union Bank basketball club, Tunde Popoola assured all the participating teams that the Nigerian side will do everything possible to make them feel at home while in Nigeria for the qualifiers where the two top teams will fly the zone flag at the final round of the championship tentatively fixed for Tunisia later in the year.

Meanwhile four matches are slated for today (Wednesday) being the opening with ASPAC of Benin Republic sweating it out against Racing Club of Togo at 12 H 00 local time in group-B, in another group-B match Kano Pillars of Nigeria will take to the floor against Phenix of Cote d’Ivoire at 14 H 00.

And in group-A, Swallows of Togo will engage N P A Pythons of Liberia in a game of wit at 16 H 00 while host Union Bank of Nigeria will begin his campaign for the final round ticket with an opening group game against Energie of Benin Republic at 18 H 00.

All matches have been fixed for the sports hall of the Lagos national stadium.

By Olusegun Ikuesan
FIBA