After arriving in Lagos on Sunday, March 30, 2025, Rivers Hoopers will travel to Morocco on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, aiming to improve on their previous Basketball Africa League (BAL) outing, where they finished third. However, three teams stand in their way in the group stage.

The Port Harcourt-based side, Rivers Hoopers, has been drawn into the Kalahari Conference and will face Al Ittihad of Egypt, FUS Rabat of Morocco, and Mali’s Stade Malien in Rabat.

The BAL is Africa’s premier basketball competition, organised by the NBA in partnership with FIBA, and it tips off on April 5 in Rabat, Morocco, with the first-ever conference there ending on April 13. After the Sahara and Nile conferences in Dakar (April 26 – May 4) and Kigali (May 17-25) respectively, the playoffs and finals will take place in Pretoria’s SunBet Arena. They will tip off on June 6 with the final scheduled for June 14. This will be the first year in which it will take place outside Kigali, whose current deal with the BAL includes hosting the playoffs and finals every two years.

Here’s a breakdown of their opponents:

Hosts FUS Rabat of Morocco:

Founded on April 10, 1946, Fath Union Sport, commonly known as FUS Rabat, is a prominent Moroccan men’s basketball team based in Rabat. The team competes in Morocco’s top-tier league, the Division Excellence (DEX-H), and boasts an impressive history as the country’s most successful basketball club.

FUS Rabat has won a record 19 DEX-H championships, with titles spanning from 1968 to their most recent victory in 2024. They also secured nine Moroccan Throne Cups, further cementing their legacy.

In their debut Basketball Africa League (BAL) appearance in 2024, FUS Rabat excelled, winning the Kalahari Conference with a 3-1 record. They earned the top seed in the BAL Playoffs, defeating teams like Petro de Luanda and Cape Town Tigers.

FUS Rabat plays its home games at the Salle Abderrahmane Bouânane, which has a capacity of 1,500 spectators. The team is coached by Said El Bouzidi, with standout players including Johnathan Jordan, Ayoub Nouhi, and Abdelhakim Zouita.

Stade Malien of Mali:

Similar to FUS Rabat, Stade Malien is a prominent basketball team in Mali. Based in Bamako, Stade Malien competes in Mali’s Ligue 1 and boasts a rich history and success both domestically and on the continental stage.

The Malian side holds a record of 19 national championships, making them the most decorated team in the competition. The team is part of a multi-sport club founded in 1960, which also includes football and rugby sections.

Stade Malien plays its home games at the Palais des Sports Salamatou Maiga, an 8,000-capacity arena in Bamako.

In the Basketball Africa League (BAL), Stade Malien made its debut during the 2023 season, qualifying through the “Road to BAL” tournament. Against expectations, they excelled in their inaugural season, winning the Sahara Conference with a 3-2 record and advancing to the playoffs.

Although they lost narrowly to Al Ahly in the semi-finals, Stade Malien secured third place by beating Petro de Luanda 73-65. Standout performances came from players like Aliou Diarra, who earned the BAL Defensive Player of the Year award.

After missing the 2024 season due to financial challenges, Stade Malien returned to the BAL in 2025, qualifying through the Road to BAL Elite 16. Led by head coach Boubacar Kanouté and a core of local talents, the team secured their spot with a decisive 80-59 victory over Kadji Sports Academy in Abidjan.

For the 2025 season, Stade Malien has bolstered its roster with reinforcements like Mouhamed Doumbia, alongside Mamadou “Bamadi” Doucouré and Cartier Diarra.

Al Ittihad of Egypt:

Al Ittihad, a prestigious professional basketball club based in Alexandria, Egypt, was founded in 1914. The basketball team competes in the Egyptian Basketball Premier League and is widely regarded as a powerhouse in the country.

Al Ittihad holds a record of 16 Premier League championships, the most in Egyptian basketball history. They have also secured 14 Egyptian Cups and 3 Super Cups, further cementing their dominance.

On the continental stage, Al Ittihad won the FIBA Africa Champions Cup (now part of the Basketball Africa League framework) in 1987, marking their only African continental title. They have also excelled in regional competitions, claiming the Arab Championship a record seven times. They are making their BAL debut after earning direct qualification. The team, nicknamed “Masters of the City,” plays its home games at the Kamal Shalaby Hall in Alexandria. The current roster features notable players like Ahmed Metwaly, Aly Ahmed, Yaser Saleh, Ahmed Khalaf, and Anas Mahmoud, with the team coached by Ahmed Omar. To further strengthen their squad, they have signed last year’s MVP and the record single-game scorer for the tournament, South Sudan’s Jo Lual-Acuil, who will once again team up with Majok Deng and will be joined by another star signing, Kyle Vinales. Lual-Acuil averaged 21.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in his BAL debut season.