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Abidjan Basket Club Fighters, commonly known as ABC Fighters, is an Ivorian professional
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
club based in the city of
Abidjan Abidjan ( , ; N'Ko script, N'ko: ߊߓߌߖߊ߲߬) is the largest city and the former capital of Ivory Coast. As of the Demographics of Ivory Coast, 2021 census, Abidjan's population was 6.3 million, which is 21.5 percent of the overall population ...
. Founded in 1997, the team is the most successful men teams in the country, with a record 22
national championships A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or competition, contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the be ...
, and one continental FIBA Africa Champions Cup in 2005. The home arena of the team is the
Palais des Sports de Treichville Palais des Sports de Treichville is an indoor sporting arena located in Treichville, Abidjan, Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West ...
.


History

The ABC club was established in 1997 by members of the basketball section of the
Africa Sports d'Abidjan Africa Sports d'Abidjan is a multi-sports club based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. History The club was founded in 1947. Sports The club contains teams in the sports of track and field, handball, basketball, and association football. Of these, the ...
football club. In 2002, the team played in the FIBA Africa Club Champions Cup for the first time. In 2004, the first-ever
Ivorian Basketball Championship The Ligue d'Or (in English: Golden League), formerly known as the Ivorian Basketball Championship, is the premier basketball league for clubs in Ivory Coast. The league consist out of twelve teams as of the 2024 season. The most successful team in ...
was won. In
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
, ABC won the
FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup The FIBA Africa Basketball League (formerly named the FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup) was the highest caliber men's professional basketball competition for clubs until 2020, organized by the FIBA Africa and played by the champions of the league ...
and was crowned African champions for the first time. In the final, ABC beat Angolan club
Interclube Grupo Desportivo Interclube, usually known as Interclube or Inter de Luanda, is an Angolan Association football, football club based in Luanda. The club is attached to the Angolan police force. Interclube is one of the two clubs based in Luanda ( ...
67–66.
Stéphane Konaté Kinidinnin Stéphane Konaté Sornan (born 23 August 1980) is an Ivorian retired basketball player. He played the majority of his career for the ABC Fighters and for the Ivory Coast national team. He is nicknamed "El Jefe" ("The Chef"). Primaril ...
was named the competition's Most Valuable Player. In 2021, the team was re-named from ABC to ABC Fighters. The team is nicknamed ''Dangôrôs'', a term that designates in Malinké those who have earned the respect devolved to the elders. On 18 November 2022, ABC defeated
Stade Malien Stade Malien is a Malian professional Association football, football and sports club based in Bamako. One of the two dominant clubs of Malian football, their eastern Bamako training grounds host other sports as well, including a successful bask ...
in the
Road to BAL The Road to BAL, also known as the BAL Qualifying Tournaments, are the qualifying tournaments of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). While the main tournament is co-organised by FIBA and the NBA, the organization of the qualifiers is completely do ...
semi-finals and clinched their first-ever ticket to the
Basketball Africa League The Basketball Africa League (BAL) is the premier men's basketball league in Africa. Founded in 2019, the league was established and is co-organized by NBA Africa and the FIBA, International Basketball Federation (FIBA). Each season typically r ...
(BAL). In the
playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
of the
2023 BAL season The 2023 BAL season, also known as BAL Season 3, was the third season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The season began on 11 March 2023 and ended on 27 May 2023. The 2023 BAL Playoffs, playoffs were played in the BK Arena in Kigali, which ...
, ABC played against Petro de Luanda in the quarter-finals. They lost 88-84. In September 2024, the Fighters signed
Karim Mané Abdoul Karim Mané (born May 16, 2000) is a Senegalese-Canadian professional basketball player for the Calgary Surge of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. He grew up on the South Shore of Montreal and played for Vanier College in Montreal's ...
, the first former
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
player to sign with the team.


Honours


Domestic

Ivorian Basketball Championship The Ligue d'Or (in English: Golden League), formerly known as the Ivorian Basketball Championship, is the premier basketball league for clubs in Ivory Coast. The league consist out of twelve teams as of the 2024 season. The most successful team in ...
*Champions (22): 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 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 The FIBA Africa Basketball League (formerly named the FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup) was the highest caliber men's professional basketball competition for clubs until 2020, organized by the FIBA Africa and played by the champions of the league ...
*Winners (1):
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...


In African competitions

FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup The FIBA Africa Basketball League (formerly named the FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup) was the highest caliber men's professional basketball competition for clubs until 2020, organized by the FIBA Africa and played by the champions of the league ...
(7 appearances) ::
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
– 5th Place ::
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
– ''Runners-up'' ::
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
– Champions ::
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
– 6th Place ::
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
– 3rd Place ::
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
– 8th Place ::
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
– 11th Place BAL Qualifiers (1 appearance) ::
2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
– Second Round


BAL season by season


Players


Current roster

:''As of 26 February 2023.'' Head coach:
Liz Mills Liz Mills is an Australian basketball coach who, since 2011, has coached elite level men's club and national basketball teams in Africa. Mills is the former head coach of Bangui Sporting Club for the 2023 Road to BAL (Basketball Africa League) ...
For the 2023 BAL Playoffs the team signed Kenyan forward
Tylor Ongwae Tylor Ongwae (born 15 July 1991) is a Kenyan basketball player for the Nairobi City Thunder of the KBF Premier League and the Basketball Africa League (BAL) and the Kenya national team. He has known his most successful years in Denmark with ...
, Tunisian PG
Omar Abada Omar Abada (, born 20 April 1993) is a Tunisian professional basketball player who plays for Club Africain of the Championnat Pro A. Abada also plays for the Tunisia national basketball team. Born in Tunis, he started his career in 2010 with à ...
and Guinean centre Ousmane Drame.


Notable players

*
Stéphane Konaté Kinidinnin Stéphane Konaté Sornan (born 23 August 1980) is an Ivorian retired basketball player. He played the majority of his career for the ABC Fighters and for the Ivory Coast national team. He is nicknamed "El Jefe" ("The Chef"). Primaril ...
*
Abraham Sie Louis Cyrille Jean Benoît She (31 August 1999 – 6 April 2022), better known as Abraham Sie, was an Ivorian basketball player. During his career he played for the Ivory Coast national basketball team. Club career Sie was a former football playe ...


Head coaches

* Franck Sylva: (-2023) *
Liz Mills Liz Mills is an Australian basketball coach who, since 2011, has coached elite level men's club and national basketball teams in Africa. Mills is the former head coach of Bangui Sporting Club for the 2023 Road to BAL (Basketball Africa League) ...
: (2023) * Milutin Nikolić: (2023–present)


References


External links


Abidjan Basket Club
on
Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
{{Basketball Africa League Basketball teams in Ivory Coast Road to BAL teams Sports clubs and teams in Abidjan Basketball teams established in 1997 1997 establishments in Ivory Coast