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By Joe Apu
Nigeria’s senior men’s national team is billed to land in Abidjan, the Ivorien capital today ahead of the FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifiers which begins on Friday, August 26.
According to the General Manager of the team, Musa Adamu who is already in Abidjan told Sunday SunSports on telephone that players and coaches will touch down today.
“The team is arriving Sunday and we expect that we will get down to action. The team is billed to stay at Ibis, the official hotel provided by the Ivorien Basketball Federation.”
The addition of Tokyo 2020 olympians Josh Okogie, Ike Nwamu, and Miye Oni, and the return of coach Mike Brown has boosted the D’Tigers chances for the next three games against Angola, Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire.
The last time Nigeria visited Abidjan, they experienced their worst result in African basketball in the last two decades after a humiliating 76-46 defeat to Cote d’Ivoire in the last window of the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers.
There’s no question how Nigeria had their pride hurt in the first Windows of the African Qualifiers, where they lost to Cape Verde twice.
With the current roster and coaching staff, it’s now a superb chance for Nigeria to prove they are legitimate World Cup contenders.
Nigeria is currently fourth placed fourth on the Group E table with 6 points behind Cote d’Ivoire 8 points, Cape Verde 7 points and Angola 6 points.
The home based players led by Coach Ogoh Odaudu will depart Lagos too.
