NGR - Pillars, Union Bank, Potters to represent Nigeria

ABUJA (FIBA Africa Club championship) - Nigerian Premier Basketball League champions Kano Pillars will represent Nigeria in this year’s FIBA Africa Clubs Champions League for Men. Pillars defeated Union Bank 87-85 to emerge the new Nigerian champions. The team will be joined by runners up Union Bank and Niger Potters who defeated Plateau Peaks 82-81 in the third and fourth place game.

 The Secretary of Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Mr. Francis Gbiri and as well as the FIBA Africa Zone 3 President Muktar Khaleh confirmed the number of teams to FIBA.COM. “The three teams have been listed to FIBA Africa to represent the country in the men’s club championship,” Gbiri said following the Premier League play off which ended in Kano by the weekend.

 All three teams will, however, qualify through the FIBA Africa Zone 3 competition which will hold in Lagos from the 11th to 16th of this month. Union Bank club will host the event and their position as host gave the country a third slot. The African Final-8 play off will hold in Tunis, Tunisia by the second week of December. Niger Potters represented Nigeria in the competition last year as Ebun Comets could not make the trip to the qualifiers.

Speaking on their feat as new Nigerian champions the Pillars coach Sani Ahmed attributed the success to the discipline of his players. “"Agreeably the support of the fans may have gingered the players as we played in Kano but the major factor is that my players worked very hard. They were determined to win this competition. We have lost league games on this court this season so I believe it explains the fact that the players worked hard this time," Sani explained online to FIBA.COM. By Pius Ayinor, FIBA

Pius AYINOR
FIBA