Espoir Basket Club (in English: Hope Basketball Club), also known as Espoir BC, is a Gabonese semi-professional basketball team based in Libreville.[1] The team has won the Gabonese Cup in 2023.[2]

Espoir Basket Club
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LeagueLigue de Basket-ball de l’Estuaire
Gabonese Cup
LocationLibreville, Gabon
PresidentDavid Chancel Likouma
Head coachMichaël Hermann Oganda Igoue

They play in the Estuaire Province's Ligue de Basket-ball de l’Estuaire (Libabe), and won the province championship in 2022 after defeating former champions Clutch Time in the final, 73–37.[3]

As runners-up of the 2022 Gabonese Cup and replacement of champions Clutch Time,[4] Espoir earned the right to play in the 2023 BAL qualification.[5] In September 2022, Espoir recruited Stéphane Lasme, widely considered the best Gabonese player ever, as a reinforcement.[6] Michaël Oganda Igoue is the team's current head coach.[1]

Honours edit

Ligue de Basket-ball de l’Estuaire

  • Champions (1): 2022

Gabonese Cup

  • Winners (1): 2023
  • Runners-up (1): 2022

In international competitions edit

BAL Qualifiers

  • 2023In progress

Players edit

2022 roster edit

The following is the Espoir roster for the 2023 BAL qualification:[7]

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

Espoir Basket Club roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name
1   Sow, Ali
5   Moundounga-Moumbeki, Warene (C)
7   Loussi, Junior
15   Moupomo, Dolivitch
30   Boukosso Igouwe, Hermann Junior
33   Kanga Lendouga, Emmanuel
34   Kounda Kounda, Mike Daniel
77   Meyet Aworet, Jarode
99   Minko, Tracey
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  •   Injured

Updated: 13 October 2022

References edit

  1. ^ a b archysport (22 September 2022). "Gabon: Espoir Basket Club in battle order ahead of Basketball Africa League Zone 4 qualifiers". Archysport. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  2. ^ "Coupe du Gabon de basketball : Espoir BC s'arroge le trophée et rafle la mise". Gabonreview.com | Actualité du Gabon | (in French). 2 April 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  3. ^ "Estuaire-Basket-ball : Espoir sacré champion Supra ligue Libabe". TrustGabon (in French). 18 July 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  4. ^ "Get to know the first four teams to open the 2022 Road to BAL season". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  5. ^ Media, Binto (31 August 2022). "Basketball Africa League : Espoir BC va représenter le Gabon". Gabon Matin (in French). Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  6. ^ APP (17 September 2022). "Gabon-Basketball : Stéphane Lasme un renfort de taille pour Espoir BC". Agence de Presse Panafricaine (in French). Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  7. ^ "Espoir Basket Club at the Africa Champions Clubs ROAD TO B.A.L. 2023 2022". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 14 October 2022.