Port Harcourt will host the 2026 NPBL Final Four from September 20–22, with Rivers Hoopers, Maktown Flyers, Gboko City Chiefs and Aso Sky Hawks battling for the title and a 2027 BAL ticket.
Port Harcourt will host the 2026 Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) Final Four from September 20–22, after a venue clash forced organisers to reschedule the season-ending tournament.
The announcement was contained in a communiqué by the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) on Sunday, signed by Men’s Premier League Chairman Babatunde Ogunade and NBBF Secretary General Amina Amanchi.
According to the NBBF, the teams will conduct technical meetings on September 19 ahead of three consecutive game days between September 20 and 22, before departure on September 23.
What’s at Stake
The four-team, round-robin showpiece will see the best clubs in Nigeria go head-to-head for the prestigious 2026 NPBL crown and a much-coveted ticket to the 2027 Basketball Africa League (BAL) season. The club that finishes top of the round-robin standings at the conclusion of the three-day tournament will be crowned the 2026 NPBL champion.
How the Four Qualifiers Got There
Six-time champions Rivers Hoopers qualified for the Final Four by finishing top of the playoffs with a 6-1 record and a superior points differential over defending champions Maktown Flyers, who also finished 6-1. Rivers Hoopers had entered the final playoff day unbeaten, but had their six-game winning run ended when Aso Sky Hawks upset them 74-67 to book their own place in the last four.
Gboko City Chiefs and Aso Sky Hawks finished third and fourth respectively, with 5-2 records. The Chiefs sealed their qualification with a narrow 78-76 win over Lagos Raptors, while Maktown Flyers closed out the playoffs with a 64-54 win over 313 Warriors to secure their spot.
This marks the fourth consecutive year Port Harcourt has hosted the NPBL playoffs, with the Basketball Stadium on Niger Street providing a familiar venue for the competition’s closing stages.
Rivers Hoopers, the country’s most decorated club with six national titles, will be particularly keen to reclaim the trophy after Maktown Flyers, who competed as Lagos Legends the previous season, ended the Hoopers’ reign as reigning champions. Interim head coach Ronald Alalibo has cautioned that the team’s strong regular-season form will count for little once the Final Four gets underway, with the round-robin format meaning every game carries direct weight on the final standings.
