Zenith Bank Women Basketball League’s Conference phase begins Monday 

By Aderonke Ojo
Abuja, Sept. 26, 2019

The Conference phase of the 2019 Zenith Bank Women Basketball League will get underway on Monday at two venues.

The 16 clubs which qualified for this stage of the league from the second phase will head to Abuja and Ibadan in two groups of eight each.

Afolabi Oni, a member of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) board, in a statement on Thursday quoted the federation’s Secretary-General, Afolabi-Oluwayemi Olabisi, as saying all was set for the Conference phase.

“This followed the conclusion of the two group stages, after which the 16 teams were divided into the traditional Atlantic and Savannah Conferences.’’

The NBBF official added that the Savannah Conference will be in Abuja and it has new entrants Nigerian Army Amazons who have remained unbeaten after 12 games.

“They will face Kaduna Angels, Taraba Hurricanes and Adamawa Flames who all emerged from the Zaria Centre.

“Other teams in the Savannah Conference are Air Warriors who only lost one game out of 14, alongside 2018 Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League second runners-up Nigerian Customs, as well as Plateau Rocks and Black Gold Queens.

“In the Atlantic Conference in Ibadan, the bitter rivalry between 2018 Zenith Women’s League champions First Bank under Lateef Erinfolami and the Peter Ahmedu-coached Dolphins Basketball Club is expected to continue.

“They will battle for places in the National Final 8.

“All eyes will also be on fast-rising MFM Basketball Club which narrowly lost in the third-place game during the 2018 edition, as well as Ogun Babes and Oluyole Babes.

“Sunshine Angels of Akure, IGP Queens of Lagos and Delta Force complete the line-up at the Atlantic Conference,’’ she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the league’s Conference phase will end on Oct. 8.