Stallions Appoint EX-National Basketball Team Coach

Former Coach of the National Team, Ayodele Bakare has been appointed as the team coach for the Stallions team. This comes on the heels of the resignation of the former coach Johnson Ayinla who has been highly praised by the Stallions organization for his contribution to the team.

African Basketball League

Bakare, a graduate of Western Michigan University and University of Ife, coached the National Team to be the first and only African team to qualify for the Olympics and also served as head coach on several teams within the National Team Program.

‘’ I am thrilled to get this opportunity to join the ABL family. I feel particularly privileged to become a part of this well-storied and proud franchise, which the Stallions are. Some may feel that our team might not have been playing well recently, but we hope to change all that; and very quickly too. We are tweaking the roster to position it for better performance and we hope to build on the solid foundations created by the previous technical crew’’, said Coach Bakare.

He further added that ‘’ we hope to soon provide our teeming fans with a style of basketball, which will not only be very entertaining but will also be highly competitive and represent the best which the Stallions brand has long been associated with’’.

Coach Bakare has won several international medals with both men and women’s teams in junior and senior categories.

With a vast experience of over thirty years, he is no doubt in a good position to redirect the course of the Stallions in the current ABL season.

The Stallions formerly known as Union Bank Basketball team is a Nigerian Professional Basketball club. The club currently competes with five other franchises in the ongoing African Basketball League.

The ABL is proudly supported by MTV Base, Union Bank, Wakanow, Cornerstone Insurance, Cruz Vodka, Pulse.ng, THE BEAT 99.9FM and the Lagos State Government.

Stallions Appoint EX-National Basketball Team Coach

International Basketball Players arrive Nigeria For ABL Debut Season

All is set for the debut of the African Basketball League as top International Basketballers who will be featured throughout the season have arrived Nigeria for the league which tips off on 5^th of March 2016 at the Landmark event centre.

African Basketball League

Four cities in West Africa will play host to a hundred and twenty games in the first season; Lagos, Abijan, Dakar and Libreville. Lagos Islanders, Lagos Warriors and Stallions are the participating Nigerian teams.

The other Africa clubs that will participate in the league are Dakar Rapids from Senegal, Abidjan Ramblers from the Cote d’Ivoire and Izobe Basketball Club from Libreville.

The first game will see the Stallions playing at home against Dakar Rapids of Senegal on Saturday March 5th , the game will commence by 6.30pm at Landmark Event Centre.

Some key players to look out for during the season are Mark Hill, Kelechi Anuna, Melvin Baker, Akintunde Moses, amongst others.

Mark Hill: At 5’11, Mark Hill is a quick silver point guard who has the ability to lead his team, while being able to score at will anytime. He has an excellent foot speed and agility which makes a very good penetrator who can finish in traffic. Mark was most notedly the league’s MVP in Finland for the 2014/2015 season before he joined the Lagos Islanders.

 Kelechi Anuna: Kelechi is a point guard for the Stallions, having also played for the Nigerian National Team in the past and more recently for the Slovakia League. Born and bred in the USA, Kelechi played basketball for his college Middle Tennessee State University before he played professionally. He has played in Top leagues in Tunisia, Slovakia, Dominican Republic, Egypt and Venezula.

 Melvin Baker: At an outstanding 6’7’ and 215 pounds, Melvin Baker is more than an able power forward, adept at blocking shooters who might be aiming for his team’s basket. He has played basketball across Europe, most noteably wining the championship in Helsinki Finland and winning the championship while averaging 17ppg and 8rpg.Melvin represents the Lagos Islanders.

Akintunde Moses: Akin is a versatile, physical and athletic player with tremendous athleticism and strength which make him a powerful lead on the court. He is an excellent mid-range and 3-point shooter. Akin represents the Stallions.

As more professional basketball players arrive in Nigeria for what can be described as one of the greatest and most remarkable events in Africa, we hold on to our seats in anticipation of The African Basketball League Season premier.

Tickets are available on www.ablafrica.com, Wakanow offices and Select Union Bank branches.

The ABL is proudly supported by TRACE, Union Bank, Wakanow, Cornerstone Insurance, Landmark, THE BEAT 99.9FM and ASKY Airline.

International Basketball Players arrive Nigeria For ABL Debut Season

African Basketball League Set For Launch In Lagos

African Sports Entertainment in partnership with Wakanow Sports is set to launch the African Basketball League ABL on Wednesday December 16th at the Boat Club in Ikoyi, Lagos.

African Basketball League

The highly anticipated corporate launch will introduce the Lagos Islanders, Stallions and Lagos City Chiefs as the Nigerian Clubs in the league. Other Clubs include the Dakar Rapids from Senegal, Abidjan Ramblers from the Ivory Coast and Izobe Basketball Club from Libreville, Gabon.

In a Statement released by the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Wakanow, Obinna Ekezie, Basketball offers significant opportunities for job creation and socio-economic development in Africa. Ekezie stated that, “Sports entertainment is a business

that will create more jobs in Africa and especially Nigeria with the fall of oil prices and the opportunity for the Sports industry to contribute immensely in this area since it is an industry mainly targeted at the youth’’.

Ekezie, who played professional Basketball in the NBA for Dallas Mavericks and Chicago Bulls noted that a new perspective is needed if Africa is to take advantage of these value opportunities. “The challenge we have had is the way we have viewed sports and the ABL’s value proposition turns the current Basketball model in Africa on its head. We want people to travel across Africa, spend their money in Africa and enjoy the game of Basketball,” he noted.

The ABL will be managed by seasoned experts who have experienced in professional Basketball management at the highest level. The Chief Executive Officer of the league Ugo Udezue, added that “The value proposition of the ABL is largely built around professionalism. We will run a very professional league with franchises that are managed very professionally. The value of a league is in the strength of its franchises and ABL will largely manage the franchises to optimize their commercial and technical value.”

He also noted that one of the reasons the ABL has been established was to productively channel the talent and passion Africans have for the game. He noted, “The ABL’s management of the Professional League and the Junior League will provide a structure for harnessing Basketball talents in Africa. A great Basketball team is built on technical and commercial successes and this is what the ABL intends to build in all its franchisees.”

African Basketball League Set For Launch In Lagos