D’Tigers, D’Tigress arrive Lomé for 2018 FIBA 3x3 Africa Cup
Nigeria’s men and women’s national basketball teams arrived in Lomé, Togo yesterday for the 2018 FIBA 3x3 Africa Cup.
The men’s team captained by Azouma Dike of Kano Pillars is made up of Abdul Yahaya (Kano Pillars), Lucky Subel (Kano Pillars) and Godwin David (Kano Pillars)
Still buzzing from their Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League victory and a fairy tale 2018 FIBA Women’s World Cup run where the D’Tigress got to the quarter-finals, the women’s 3x3 team will hope to tap into the superlative form of Nkechi Akaraiwe who scored 32 points, 2 assists and 5 rebounds to hand First Bank Women’s Basketball club the 2018 Zenith Bank Basketball Women League.
World Cup debutant and 2018 Zenith Bank Basketball Women’s League Most Valuable Player, Nkem Uwa Akaraiwe alongside Grace Okonkwo were also listed.
Following her sterling role in the colors of Dolphins, 2018 3x3 u-18 African Youth Games MVP Ijeh Fumnaya Linda was also listed by the team’s coach, Acha Chris.
The men will hope to defend their title which they won in 2017 while the women who lost out narrowly to Mali in 2017 final will hope to go a step further and win the title.
Points will be gathered from the competition as part of a prerequisite to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics where 3x3 style of basketball will make a historic debut.