ABA LEAGUE FINAL 8: THE RACE FOR THE TROPHY ENTERS ITS DECISIVE STAGE

By Eyere Ekuta 

What started with 24 academies and hundreds of young players has now reached its most important stage. The Amateur Basketball Academies (ABA) League moves into the Final 8 on Monday 7 September 2026, at the outdoor basketball courts of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, with eight boys’ teams and eight girls’ teams left to compete for the championship.

The group stage brought together 24 registered academies, divided into two groups of 12. Group A featured OBBN, Suleja Bulldogs, Inspire, Gwarinpa, Tigers, Love, OneBall, TNT, Demora, TREFt, Gilali and Tikor, while Group B comprised Eco, KOK, Kubwa Raptors, Takers, Dominion, Smarth, Plastic Flower, Slam Dunk, Queens Court, Starguide, Full Force and Apo Settlers.

The Final 8 matchups are now confirmed. In the boys’ competition, Suleja Bulldogs face Gilali Balls, TNT Basketball take on Gwarinpa Hawks, Full Force meet Dominion, while Eco Titans go up against Queens Court.

In the girls’ competition, One Ball will face Suleja Divas, TNT Beauties meet Love Basketball, Queens Court take on Plastic Flowers, while Smart Basketball face Dominion.

While the knockout stage will determine which academies continue their pursuit of the trophy, the league has also produced individual stories that show why grassroots competitions such as this matter.

One of them is John Godfrey, the 16-year-old Eco Titans guard from Edo State who wears jersey No. 5. Godfrey only discovered basketball two years ago, but the sport has quickly become a passion for him. 

He credits part of his development to the mentorship of Coach Friday and the wider Eco Titans coaching staff in Abuja.

His performance throughout the tournament has been impressive, particularly in one of the competition’s most physical and closely contested games against Slam Dunk Basketball. Godfrey contributed 10 points to help Eco Titans secure the victory. The result was part of Eco Titans’ strong run in the first stage, which also included wins over Starguide and Queens Court and ultimately earned the academy a place in the Final 8. 

Godfrey also has experience from Power Forward, the long-running Abuja youth basketball programme. At Eco Titans, he shares the backcourt with friends who have become teammates: 15-year-old Alexander Modupe from Ondo State, who scored 15 points in the team’s tournament opener and has become a reliable offensive option; 17-year-old Mark Destiny from Delta State; and 16-year-old Reward Wilcox from Rivers State. Their years of playing together have helped develop the understanding and chemistry that have become one of Eco Titans’ strengths.

At the other end of the age spectrum is Efe Francis Okusare, competing in the girls’ Under-10 category. At just nine years old, Okusare has already spent four years playing basketball, having started at the age of five.

Her sporting background has also given her an early introduction to the game. Her mother is a sports veteran from a football background, while her father is a basketball coach. The Delta State-born youngster therefore grew up in an environment where sport and basketball were already part of everyday life.

Despite her age, Okusare has shown composure while competing against older and bigger players. She says that one of the things that helps her is simply not being afraid. That confidence has become noticeable in her performances and has made her one of the young players attracting attention as the competition progresses.

But beyond the scores, fixtures and standings, the ABA League has offered something equally important. For many of the young players, it has provided an opportunity to stay active, learn, compete and enjoy basketball during the school holiday. It has also brought parents, families and communities together around young athletes and created a setting where grassroots basketball can be experienced as more than just practice sessions.

Now, with the Final 8 confirmed, the competition moves into a stage where there is little room for mistakes. Every game carries championship significance, and every academy still standing has a realistic path to the trophy.

For players like John Godfrey and Efe Francis Okusare, however, the value of the ABA League goes beyond what happens on Monday. The Final 8 may determine the next winners, but for these young players and many others in the competition, the bigger prize could be the experience, confidence and exposure gained along the way, and the opportunity to turn a school-holiday basketball experience into the beginning of a much longer journey in the sport.