16 Teams Qualify For Zenith Bank Conference Playoffs

Published

7 years ago

September 17, 2019

Joel Ajayi

16 teams have qualified for the National Conference Phase of the 2019 Zenith Women Basketball League after the conclusion of the group games across four venues.

Nigerian Army Amazons who remained unbeaten after 12 games in the North West Division booked a place in the Savannah Conference alongside Kaduna Angels who finished with 22 points.

Taraba Hurricanes with 7 wins out of 12 games also qualified with Adamawa Flames who managed 6 wins.

In the North Central Division held in Abuja, Air Warriors with 13 wins from 14 games topped the group to book a conference playoff ticket.

2018 Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League bronze medalist, Nigerian Customs finished second with 13 wins after losing out to Air Warriors on head to head points.

Others include Plateau Rocks and Black Gold Queens of Abuja who won 10 and 8 games respectively.

In the South West Division in Ibadan, unbeaten First Bank of Lagos who won all their eight games to finish 1st ahead of rivals, Dolphins who won 6 games both qualified.

Ogun Babes and Oluyole Babes also booked places in the Atlantic Conference.

In Akure, MFM of Lagos were unstoppable as they won all their 10 games to qualify for the Conference phase of the 2019 Zenith Bank sponsored Women’s Basketball League.

It was a fierce battle between Sunshine Angels of Akure and Delta Force as they both won six games and lost four each to finish on 16 points.

Sunshine Angels however edged out their Asaba counterparts on superior head to head indices to finish on the 2ndspot.

Lagos based IGP Queens finished 4th to pick the last ticket from the zone ahead of 2017 league finalists First Deep Waters.

The new format which was recently introduced by the Nigeria Basketball Federation is targeted at increasing the number of games to be played per season.

Dates and venues for the Savannah and Atlantic Conferences of the 2019 Zenith Bank sponsored Women’s Basketball League will be announced in the coming days.

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Fresh Ideas, Science Needed to Revitalise Basketball —ABA

Published

5 days ago

September 27, 2026

The Gleamer

Cyril Ogar

President/Founder, Amateur Basketball Academies, ABA, Aliyu Lucky Abubakar has called for a scientific and pragmatic approach to rediscovering the game of basketball in the North East.

The former player of many teams in Nigeria stated this on Saturday during training of coaches in Yola, Adamawa State.

Aliyu said the training is aimed to arm Coaches so they can, in turn, reach the children, especially those that ABA may not. The Deputy Comptroller in Nigeria Customs Service decried non-challant attitudes of the stakeholders in the development of basketball in the North East.

” Basketball is fading in the North East, and we at ABA will not allow it to die.”

“Adamawa was once a force in the game of basketball but had fallen behind. Our plan is to discover talent through coaching training, nurture it, and carry it from state level to the national team, and eventually, the global stage.” The basketball administrator said.

In his keynote message to the participants, which centered on the theme, “HOPE,” Harnessing opportunity, Organising for excellence, Promoting players’ development, and Empowering the next generation, Aliyu said, is far more than a drill instructors.

” Every child you see on a basketball court has a dream, and it is our job as a coach to spot it early and give it somewhere to go.” He concluded.

In his lecture titled, ” Who is a Coach”, Emmanuel Odah, the head Coach, FCT Basketball and former National Juniors team, described a coach as a committed, organised, affectionate, caring and humble.

” Commitment is consistency, and consistency is mother of progress; humility comes first because a coach who can not control himself can never control a game,” Odah insisted.

Other instructors at the training include ABA head of technical, Coach Adeka Daudu, as well as Coach Alexander Anyebe Ujoh, who spoke about the relationship between a coach and child in his care.

Coaches at the training commended ABA for its boldness to give hopes to basketball coaches all over the country. They promised that lessons learned would reshape and reset their mind on the job. They said the training will help them in understanding their role not only as an instructor but also grooming the children for a better future.

Among guests at the event include FCT Acting Director of Sports, Mr. Iyiola Ogundele and Bayelsa Veteran Basketball administrator, Coach Tony

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