By Joe Apu
A total of 20 players have reported to the senior men’s national basketball team camp, which opened on Sunday in Abuja, in preparation for the last window of the FIBA World Cup African Qualifiers billed for Luanda, Angola from February 24-26.
The players in camp are made up mostly from the domestic league and two unattached USA based that will seek to nick for Nigeria one of the four remaining tickets to the FIBA Basketball World Cup holding in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia from 25 August to 10 September 2023.
Of the 21 players invited to the camp, only 20 as at the time of filing this report. Those in camp are Johnson Anaiye (Rivers Hoopers), Tolani Buhari (Kwara Falcons), Okiki Michael (Gombe Bulls), Kareem Joseph (Kwara Falcons), Michael Daramola (Nigeria Customs), Odufuwa Kanyinsola (Gombe Bulls), Olatunji Graham (USA/ free agent), Wisdom Anyoaha (Gombe Bulls), Abdulwahab Yakubu (Bulls) and Ibe Agu (Nigeria Customs).
Others are Victor Ezeh (Kwara Falcons), Adebayo Odeuleye (Rivers Hoopers), Abah Patrick (Benue Braves), Edenchukwu Derrick (USA/Free Agent), Nnoruka Francis (Pillars), Vincent Nwaiwu (Rivers Hoopers), Dada Samuel (Falcons), Chinedu Chimbou (Kano Pillars), Chibuzor Njoku (Gombe Bulls), Israel Otobo (Nigeria Customs) and Victor Koko (Rivers Hoopers).
Head Coach of the Team is Ogoh Daudu of Rivers Hoopers and will be assisted by coach of Nigeria’s reigning league champions, Baba Jibril of Kwara Falcons and Abdul Mohammed formerly of Gombe Bulls.
The camp, which ends on February 21, 2023, will see the coaches cut the team to a final 12-man roster for the battle in Luanda where Nigeria faces already qualified Cote d’Ivoire in her opening game.
Nigeria’s two other games will be against Guinea and host Angola. D’Tigers are currently placed fourth place with 10 points from 7 games on the Group E table behind leaders Cote d’Ivoire with the maximum 14 points from 7 games, Angola with 12 points from 7 games and Cape Verde with 11 points from 7 games. The other two teams in the group are Uganda and Guinea with 8 points apiece.
However, Nigeria’s quest for a World Cup ticket is dependent on the total points amassed at the end of the qualifiers as the best third place team against that of the other teams in Group F that parade surprise team of the qualifiers South Sudan (17 points), Egypt (16 points) Senegal (15 points) and Tunisia (14 points) from 9 games respectively.