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Joe Apu
Nigeria’s Captain, Ike Diogu has claimed that every team in Group B of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in China are threats to the D’ Tigers.
While not giving in to Russia, Argentina and Korea, Diogu told FIBA.basketball that no team would be taken for granted.
“We feel very good with our draw. In order to get respect worldwide, the road we must travel through is Europe, meaning we have to play the best European teams to get the respect Africa deserves,” Diogu explained.
The 6ft8in power forward had been a dominant force for Nigeria, scoring in double-figures in all but 2 games.
He literally threw his weight around as the D’ Tigers topped Group F with 10 wins in 12 games.
“All these teams are a threat. We can’t take any of them lightly because; they all have the ability to beat us. Argentina is one of the best in the world, as is Russia, so we have a tough task in front of us,” he said.
Diogu’s Nigeria had faced Argentina twice before (at Olympics 2012 and 2016) A two-time Olympian, Diogu had been a key member for the D’ Tigers in recent years.
Speaking on the World Cup, the amiable shooter with 186 points from 12 Games said: “It’s the biggest stage for me. I’ve never played in the World Cup, so I’m extremely excited to be a part of this and the guys want to make sure we do something special that the continent has not seen.”
