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By Joe Apu
Newly appointed coach of the Senegal Women’s Basketball team, Albert Antuna, has named a strong 12-man squad that will represent the country at the forthcoming FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgium from February 6-9.
The coach who had declared before now his readiness to pick the Olympic Games ticket at the expense of Nigeria’s D’Tigress named his squad over the weekend with playmaker Aya Traore leading the charge.
Also named alongside Traore is All-Tournament team member of the 2023 AfroBasket Cierra Dillard as well as Fatou Dieng, Yacine Diop, Ndioma Kane and Couna Ndao. Other players that made the cut are Fatou Pouye, Sokhna F Sylla, Oumoul K Sarr, Sokhna A Fall, Maimouna Diarra and Fatou Diagne.
Meanwhile, there is still uncertainty about the reigning African champion, Nigeria as the Nigeria Basketball Federation is yet to confirm Des Tigresses roster.
President of the NBBF, Ahmadu Musa Kida said in a chat that the basketball ruling body in the country is yet to get approval for the team’s participation in the Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament scheduled for February 6-9 in Brussels, Belgium.
“The NBBF has put in a request for the camping and participation of D’Tigress but we are yet to approve. We are hopeful that the approval will come at a good time for the team to start preparations.”
Nigeria is billed to play her first game of the qualifying tournament against Senegal in what many have described as a grudge encounter following Senegal ‘s loss to Nigeria in the 2023 Afrobasket final when Nigeria recorded her fourth straight title win in Kigali, Rwanda.
