The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, has charged Nigeria’s senior men’s national basketball team, D’Tigers, to maximise the opportunity presented by the fourth window of the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.
Olopade gave the charge as D’Tigers unveiled their final 12-man roster for the crucial qualifying window, urging the players and technical crew to remain focused on the ultimate objective of earning Nigeria a place at the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
“This is a very important window for D’Tigers and for Nigerian basketball. We have a talented group of players and an experienced technical team, and now is the time to translate that quality into results,” Olopade said.
He urged the team to approach the games with unity, discipline and the Nigerian fighting spirit, stressing that the entire country expects the players to represent Nigeria with pride.
“The entire nation is behind you, and we expect you to represent Nigeria with pride and give your very best for the country,” he added.
The final 12-man roster comprises Chimezie Metu, Josh Okogie, Caleb Agada, Stan Okoye, Chima Moneke, Ike Nwamu, Udoka Azubuike, Efe Abogidi, Ebuka Izundu, Manny Obaseki, Jordan Ogundiran and Michael Efevberha.
The team will be led by Head Coach David Fizdale, assisted by Dan Craig, Quinton Crawford, Deji Akindele and Dapo Adegibile.
D’Tigers will commence their fourth-window campaign against Cameroon on August 27, followed by a clash with South Sudan on August 28th, before rounding off their group fixtures against Cape Verde on August 30th.
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All three matches will be played in Rades, Tunisia, with Nigeria aiming to strengthen its position in the qualification race and move closer to securing a place at the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
The NSC reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the team and urged Nigerians to rally behind D’Tigers as they pursue the qualification objective.
The Commission also wished the team success, expressing confidence that the players would rise to the occasion and represent the country with determination, discipline and national pride.
