NGR - Royal Hoopers line-up friendlies

ABUJA (Africs Champions Cup Zone-3 Qualifiers) - First time qualifiers for Africa biggest club championship, Royal Hoopers basketball club of Nigeria have lined-up series of friendly games to prepare the players ahead the FIBA Africa Zone-3 Elimination holding in Monrovia, Liberia from November 1 through 7.

The Nigerian side that finished second in the Nigeria DStv Premier League behind Africa fifth best club-side, Kano Pillars basketball club is set to picked one of the two tickets available for clubs in the Zone which comprises eight West Africa countries of Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Niger Republic, Nigeria and Togo.

Sixteen clubs are expected at the Zone-3 qualifiers but this seems not to be disturbing the Hoopers who is spending its second season in the Nigeria top flight league and are determined to prove a point that their finishing second in the Nigerian league was not a fluke.

Club coach, Ogoh Odaudu, told our correspondent that the players are eager to make a name for themselves by qualifying for the final round of the 2010 FIBA Africa Champions Club for Men slated for December this year.

“We might a green horn when it comes to the Africa Club Championship but don’t forget that our team is made up of tested players who have been through this path before having played in the final round of the championship with different clubs before now.

“We are determined to reward the team management who have continued to give us maximum support in the league that we can compete against the best from FIBA Africa Zone-3 and go on to appear at the final round.

“The quest to do well informed our shifting camps to Lagos where we are sure of playing some friendlies against some teams that have been through this road before.

“We know the pressure might be on us to perform but we want to assure our fans in particular and the larger Nigeria basketball community that we have what it takes to represent Nigeria at the Zone-3 qualifiers in Liberia.

Royal Hoopers basketball club planned to play three friend games against some selected side, Ebun Comets basketball club and Police Baton basketball club from Wednesday through Friday before the team jets out to Liberia on Saturday for the Zone-3 elimination.

By Olusegun Ikuesan
FIBA Africa