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ABC Fighters

ABC Fighters
ABC Fighters logo
NicknameLes Dangôrôs
LeaguesIvorian Basketball Championship
Basketball Africa League
Founded1997
HistoryAbidjan Basket Club
1997–2021
ABC Fighters
2021–present
ArenaPalais des Sports de Treichville
Capacity3,500
LocationAbidjan, Ivory Coast
Team colorsRed, White, Orange
     
PresidentBoubakari Touré
Head coachMilutin Nikolić
Championships1 FIBA Africa Cup
22 Ivorian Leagues
12 Ivorian Cups
2 Ivorian SuperCups

Abidjan Basket Club Fighters, commonly known as ABC Fighters, is an Ivorian basketball club based in the city of Abidjan. Founded in 1997, the team is the most successful men teams in the country, with a record 22 national championships, and one continental FIBA Africa Champions Cup in 2005. The home arena of the team is the Palais des Sports de Treichville.

History

The ABC club was established in 1997 by members of the basketball section of the Africa Sports d'Abidjan football club.[1] In 2002, the team played in the FIBA Africa Club Champions Cup for the first time. In 2004, the first-ever Ivorian Basketball Championship was won.

In 2005, ABC won the FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup and was crowned African champions for the first time. In the final, ABC beat Angolan club Interclube 67–66. Stéphane Konaté was named the competition's Most Valuable Player.

In 2021, the team was re-named from ABC to ABC Fighters.[2] The team is nicknamed Dangôrôs, a term that designates in Malinké those who have earned the respect devolved to the elders.[3]

On 18 November 2022, ABC defeated Stade Malien in the Road to BAL semi-finals and clinched their first-ever ticket to the Basketball Africa League (BAL).[4]

In the playoffs of the 2023 BAL season, ABC played against Petro de Luanda in the quarter-finals. They lost 88-84.

In September 2024, the Fighters signed Karim Mané, the first former NBA player to sign with the team.[5]

Honours

Domestic

Ivorian Basketball Championship[1]

  • Champions (22): 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024[6]

Ivorian Cup

  • Champions (12): 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019

Ivorian SuperCup

  • Champions (2): 2005, 2006

International

FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup

In African competitions

FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup (7 appearances)

BAL Qualifiers (1 appearance)

2020 – Second Round

BAL season by season

Season League Conference Regular season Post-season Head coach Captain
Finish Wins Losses Win %
ABC Fighters
2023 BAL Sahara 4th 3 2 .600 Lost quarterfinals (Petro de Luanda, 84–88) Liz Mills Stéphane Konaté
Season record 3 2 .600
Playoffs record 0 1 .000

Players

The ABC logo used until 2021

Current roster

As of 26 February 2023.

Note: Flags indicate national team, as has been defined under FIBA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIBA nationality.

No. Pos. Nat. Player
1 F Ivory Coast CIV Mike Fofana
5 SF Ivory Coast CIV Loukou Oka
8 F Ivory Coast CIV Ismael Diarra
10 PG Ivory Coast CIV Faman Abdallah Kone
11 G Ivory Coast CIV Aristide Otto
12 F Ivory Coast CIV Moussa Kone
15 SG Ivory Coast CIV Stéphane Konaté (captain)
F South Sudan SSD Chudier Bile
PG United States USA Alex Robinson
C Nigeria NGA Chris Obekpa
SG Niger NIG Abdoulaye Harouna

Head coach: Australia Liz Mills

For the 2023 BAL Playoffs the team signed Kenyan forward Tylor Ongwae, Tunisian PG Omar Abada and Guinean centre Ousmane Drame.

Notable players

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

Criteria

To appear in this section a player must have either:

  • Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club
  • Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time
  • Played at least one official NBA match at any time.

Head coaches

References

  1. ^ a b "Notre Histoire" (in French). Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  2. ^ "ABC - Abidjan Basket Club Fighters". Twitter. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  3. ^ "Vision" (in French). Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Stephane spurs Abidjan Basket Club to BAL Season 3". FIBA.basketball. 2022-11-19. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  5. ^ @afroballers (2024-09-25). "Karim is Abidjan Basketball Club's first player to have ever played in the NBA [...]" – via Instagram.
  6. ^ "Abidjan Basket Club clinch 2023/24 title". Afrobasket.com. 2024-06-25. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
  7. ^ Sikubwabo, Damas (2022-12-02). "Liz Mills joins Ivory Coast's ABC ahead of BAL 2023". The New Times. Retrieved 2022-12-04.
  8. ^ "Abidjan Basket Club at the Africa Champions Clubs ROAD TO B.A.L. 2024 2023". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 2023-11-04.