Nigeria’s men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, have promised to give their best and make the nation proud in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire, in the fourth window of the 2023 FIBA Africa World Cup qualifiers.
The team gave these reassuring words on Tuesday after their second training session at the Palais des Sports Treichville, Abidjan, even though all the needed financial and moral support from the Sports Ministry is not forthcoming.
“We are here to get the job done and we are ready to do that no matter the challenges the team is going through, we just have to put behind those challenges and face the task ahead”, the players said in unison.
Eleven players trained on Tuesday, one more player is due in camp today and the team is expected to have about six more training sessions before their first game on Friday evening.
The coaches are working on the team’s tactics and game plan and will prone the fifteen-man squad to twelve due to lack of funds. Mike Brown will not be available but Udofia, Alan Major and Ogoh Odaudu are in charge of the team.
As of Tuesday evening, the Sports Ministry is yet to make funds available for the team and they’re yet to inform the Nigeria ambassador in Cote D’Ivoire about the national team’s presence in the Cocoa-rich country.
Nigeria meets, Cote D’Ivoire on Friday in their first Group E game before taking on Guinea on Saturday and they will close the fourth window with a tough outing against Angola on Sunday.
Cote D’Ivoire leads Group E with 8 points, Cape Verde are second on the table with 7 points while Angola are third and Nigeria is fourth with 6 points same as the Angolans. Uganda and Guinea complete the table.
THE TABLE OF GROUP E:
- Cote D’Ivoire
Played 4
Wins 4
Loss 0
% win 100%
FA 277
AA 254
Diff 23 - Cape Verde
Played 4
Wins 3
Loss 1
% 75%
FA 319
AA 296
Diff 23 - Angola
Played 4
Wins 2
Loss 2
% 50%
FA 289
AA 256
Diff 33 - Nigeria
Played 4
Wins 2
Loss 2
% 50%
FA 327
AA 299
Diff 28 - Uganda
Played 4
Wins 1
Loss 3
% 25%
FA 296
AA 347
Diff -51 - Guinea
Played 4
Wins 0
Loss 4
% 0%
FA 249
AA 305
Diff -56