Edo Beads head coach, Umar Victor (OON), has remained optimistic despite his side’s 74-58 loss in their opening game of the 2026 Nigeria Basketball Men’s League — their first in the League’s history — at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium Indoor Sports Hall on Sunday.
Reacting after the game, coach Victor (OON) described the defeat as part of the learning process for his youthful team competing in the league for the first time.
“It’s part of the game. It’s a league. Some days you have your off day, and sometimes when it’s your off day, it happens that way,” he said.
The tactician explained that the team would review its performance carefully to identify areas that need improvement.
“We try to assess what we’ve done, evaluate it, and know where we didn’t do well and what we need to improve on. We saw everything that happened,” he added.
The coach also highlighted the inexperience of his players but praised their determination and fighting spirit throughout the encounter.
“Mind you, it’s our first time in the league, and these young lads are pushing and pulling themselves too. So I think we’ll get better as we go,” he stated.
According to him, missed shooting opportunities and turnovers proved costly against the more experienced Coal City Blazers side.
“It was the same game strategy we had, but today wasn’t a very good day for us. Each time you miss a shot, you run into transition defence. We had missed shots and turnovers, and they punished us on the break.”
Despite the setback, the coach expressed confidence that Edo Beads would improve in subsequent matches.
“We’re going to work on that, move forward, and definitely get better. The better game will come,” he concluded.
Up next for Edo Beads is their second game against Kwara Falcons on Wednesday afternoon at the same venue