Basketball in Africa

Co-operative Bank are headed to finish a poor seventh or eighth in the 24th FIBA-Africa men’s basketball club championship when they meet Inter Club of Congo in their last classification tie at the Amahoro Stadium, Kigali, Rwanda on Tuesday.

The bankers hopes of finishing either in fifth or sixth position in the 10-day continental tournament went up in smoke when they lost their fifth consecutive match 89-62 to ASPAC of Benin on Sunday.

Inter Club had beaten Co-op Bank by eight-pointmargin (83-75) in their Group ‘’B’’ preliminary round match.
The Kenyans will need a miracle to avenge the defeat in today’s match to grab the seventh spot. A loss will see Co-op Bank finish second last in the championship which attracted only nine teams.

Uganda’s Warriors, the only team that failed to qualify for the quarter-finals, lie bottom in the nineth position.

Nigeria’s Kano Pillars won their first match 85-65 against Inter Club on Sunday leaving the two losers, Inter Club and Co-op Bank to face off on Tuesday.

The classification winners ASPAC of Benin and Kano Pillars also clash today to determine the fifth and sixth positions.

Co-op Bank were eliminated from the medal bracket when champions Petro Athletico of Angola rocked them 106-56 in the quarter-finals while Inter Club were shown the door by going down 99-88 to the impressive hosts Rwanda Patrioic Army.

Tuesday’s final will be an all Angolan affair as champions Primeiro d’ Agosto will take on their local rivals in Luanda, Petro Athletico.

Primeiro d’ Agosto, who are unbeaten in the tournament, knocked out the stubborn hosts APR 98-84 in an explosive second semi-final tie.

In the first semi-final, Petro Athletico bundled out the surprise team of the championship Mazembe of DRC 90-88.
Mazembe, who were placed last in their Group ‘A’ shocked ASPAC of Benin 86-82 in the quarter-final to qualify for the semi-final on Sunday.

Co-op Bank, who had lessons to learn from the championship, let ASPAC loose to lead 26-18 in the first quarter.