Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, are expected back in the country today (Monday) after competing at the 31st edition of the FIBA AfroBasket tournament in Angola, which ran from August 12 to 24.
The Mohammed Abdulrahman-led side crashed out at the quarter-final stage last Wednesday, following a 91-75 defeat to West African rivals and 11-time champions Senegal. Despite the early exit, the team remained in Angola as their return tickets had been booked for August 25.
Some senior members of the squad had urged the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) to reschedule their flights, but the request was reportedly turned down. Consequently, a few players, including Houston Rockets guard Josh Okogie, opted to buy their own tickets to return to their bases immediately after the tournament.
D’Tigers had a strong start to the competition, topping Group B with six points after victories over Madagascar, three-time champions Tunisia, and Cameroon. However, their campaign ended in the last eight against Senegal, despite standout performances from Caleb Agada, Josh Okogie, Stan Okoye, and Ike Nwamu.
With AfroBasket over, focus now shifts to the FIBA Men’s World Cup Qualifiers in November, where Nigeria will aim to secure a spot at the 2027 edition in Qatar. The team last appeared at the World Cup in 2019 under former head coach Alex Nwora, having missed out on the 2023 tournament.
