BAL: Hoopers Boss Odaudu Shifts Focus To US Monastir

KIGALI, RWANDA - MAY 16: Head coach Ogoh Odaudu of the Rivers Hoopers Basketball Club reacts against the Patriots Basketball Club during the second half at Kigali Arena on May 16, 2021 in Kigali, Rwanda. (Photo by Nicole Sweet/BAL/Basketball Africa League via Getty Images)

Ahead of a crucial second game of the ongoing Basketball Africa League, Rivers Hoopers head coach, Ogoh Odaudu has urged the club supporters to forget Sunday’s ‘bad loss’ against home side Patriots in the opening game at the Kigali Arena.

Odaudu admitted that his side was “really bad” against Patriots who had American hip hop superstar J.Cole in their ranks and failure to continue the first quarter momentum paved way for Patriots to capitalize on their lapses.

“Sunday’s game was very bad for us, we started off very well, and unfortunately we could not keep up the tempo and match the Patriots side.”

Odaudu who is part of the Nigeria Men’s Basketball Team coaching staff, believes beating an home-side in the first game of a competition was an herculean task.

“It is not easy playing the home team in the very first game of the tournament.”

Setting sights on the next game, Odaudu said, the team saw how their next opponent, Monastir pummelled GNBC on Monday, but he believes all hopes are not lost.

“We are now working towards the game against the Tunisian side, we were opportune to go watch them play against GNBC and we saw the blow-out loss.”

He continued: “We were still able to pick out a few things that we need to work on. All hope is not lost we will have to go out there and give a very good fight”.

Up next for the KingsMen is a game against US Monastir of Tunisia on Thursday, 20 May.