By Joe Apu
D’Tigers of Nigeria will open camp for the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers on Saturday, 21 August, 2022 in Abidjan.
The camp according to Babs Ogunade, the Vice President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF is to enable the players train together and understand themselves before the top off billed for 26th August.
“Unlike what happened to the team in Kigali where they had no time to get ready before the first game against Cape Verde, the NBBF wants the players to have time to train together and understand themselves better.
“The task ahead is tough and Nigeria will have to work harder than before now to qualify for the World Cup but like the NBBF President, Musa Kida said before now, the task is not impossible. All the matches are important for us.”
Head Coach of D’Tigers, Mike Brown said knowing the task ahead in its quest to qualify for the World Cup, the team needs to get more training under their belt before they face host- Cote d’Ivoire on Friday, 26 at the 3,500 capacity Palais des Sports, Treichville.
“We are trying to get there earlier to see whether we can have a few more practices to see whether we can get ready to perform at a little higher level in game one. In the last window, things were put together at the last second and we went there right before the first game.”
He is optimistic that early preparation will make a difference when his players step on the court for their first game.
“Hopefully, with us getting there a little earlier, getting three or four practices under our belt, it will show a little bit of difference when it comes to playing the games”, Brown said.
Currently fourth on the table, D’Tigers will play its opener against host- Cote d’Ivoire on Friday, 26 before facing Guinea a day after. On Sunday, 28 August, the team will square up against Angola. The 2023 world cup takes place from 25 August to 10 September in Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Expected in camp are Chimezie Metu of the Sacramento Kings who was part of the team during the last phase of the qualifiers in Rwanda alongside Uchenna Iroegbu, Michael Okiki (Gombe Bulls), Michael Oguine (Saint Chamond, France), Ben Emelogu (Rouen Métropole Basket) and Keith Omoerah plying his trade with Jamtland, Sweden.
Others include Ibe Abuchi Agu of the Nigerian Customs team, Michael Gbinije- (Oklahoma City Blue, NBA G League), Amanze Egezeke (Kataja, Finland), John Mathias Iduh (Kano Pillars), Christian Mekowulu (Casademont Zaragoza, Spain) and Abdul-Malik Abu (s.Oliver Würzburg, Germany).
Currently fourth on the table in Group E after two wins in four games, the team will hope to hit the ground running in its quest to book a successive World Cup ticket. The 2023 World Cup will take place from August 25 to September 10 in Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines.