Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, will arrive in the country today (Monday) after wrapping up their campaign at the 31st FIBA AfroBasket tournament in Angola, held from August 12–24.
The team, led by coach Mohammed Abdulrahman, exited the competition last Wednesday following a 91-75 loss to Senegal in the quarter-finals. Despite the early exit, the squad remained in Angola until today, as their return tickets were scheduled for August 25.
Some senior players had requested an earlier return, but the Nigeria Basketball Federation reportedly declined to alter the bookings. Notably, Houston Rockets guard Josh Okogie and a few others purchased their own tickets to leave Angola ahead of schedule.
D’Tigers’ AfroBasket run included topping Group B with victories over Madagascar, Tunisia, and Cameroon, before bowing out against Senegal. Key performers for Nigeria included Caleb Agada, Josh Okogie, Stan Okoye, and Ike Nwamu.
The team will now shift focus to the FIBA Men’s World Cup Qualifiers in November, as they aim to secure a spot at the 2027 World Cup in Qatar. Nigeria last appeared at the global tournament in 2019, missing out on the 2023 edition.
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