Oneball, TNT Lead 16 Teams Into Inaugural ABA Basketball League knockouts

Oneball and TNT have emerged among the leading teams as 16 basketball academies advanced to the knockout stage of the inaugural 2026 Amateur Basketball Academies (ABA) League in Abuja.

The competition, which features 40 academy teams, has produced a week of intense action at the Package B Basketball Courts of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

In the boys’ Group A standings, Oneball Boys finished top with 21 points after winning 10 of their 11 matches. TNT Boys also recorded 10 victories and 21 points to finish second, while Love Boys and Suleja Bulldogs completed the top four.

Full Force Boys emerged as Group B leaders, followed by Eco Titans, Queens Court Boys and Dominion.

In the girls’ competition, Oneball Girls topped Group A, with TNT, Love and Suleja also securing knockout places. Queens Court Girls led Group B, ahead of Dominion, Smarth and Plastic.

The quarter-finals resume on Monday following a two-day break.

In the boys’ quarter-finals, Suleja Bulldogs will face Gillalli Academy on Court 1, while Full Force take on Dominion on Court 2. TNT will meet Gwarimpa Hawks on Court 3, with Eco Titans facing Queens Court Boys in the other last-eight tie.

The girls’ quarter-finals will see Smarth Academy face Dominion on Court 2, while Queens Academy take on Plastic Academy on Court 1. Oneball will battle Suleja Divers on Court 3, with TNT facing Love Academy.

ABA head of technical officials, Coach Adeka Daudu, described the tournament as a success, saying it had unearthed several promising young talents.

Daudu also praised the players and coaches for their conduct throughout the competition and urged Abuja residents to turn out and support the young athletes as the knockout stage begins.

ABA President and founder, DC Aliyu Lucky Abubakar, said the tournament was designed to provide young players with the right environment to develop their abilities.

He stressed that talent alone was not enough to guarantee success, noting that young players needed to be identified early, properly guided, progressively developed and exposed to quality competition.

Abubakar added that the success of the inaugural league would encourage ABA to expand its efforts to develop basketball talent in the capital and beyond.