D’Tigers to Open Campaign against S’Sudan in Kigali Today
Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, are to begin their campaign to qualify for the 2021 AfroBasket Championships today in Kigali, Rwanda when they battle South Sudan.
The 2015 African champions are paired in Group D with host Rwanda, Mali and South Sudan.
Veteran Ike Diogu is leading D’Tigers push at the qualifiers along with the other 11 players selected by Coach Mike Brown.
Others include Point guard, Ben Uzoh, Capital City GoGo point guard, Ike Iroegbu;
Orléans Loiret Basket power forward, Chima Moneke; BC Nevžis shooting guard, Michael Gbinije; Baloncesto Fuenlabrada shooting guard, Obi Emegano and Kamza Basket point guard, Jordan Ogundiran.
POAK Athens power forward, Amanze Egezeke; Baloncesto Peñas Huesca centre, Emmanuel Omogbo; shooting guard, Ibe Agu, who plays for home-based side Civil Defenders; MBC Mykolaiv shooting guard, Keith Omoerah and Hapoel Be’er Sheva point guard, Caleb Agada.
Brown who is associate head coach of NBA’s Golden State Warriors, is leading the Nigerian team to his first tournament since replacing Alex Nwora.
The coach dropped the likes of Stan Okoye, Ikechukwu Nwamu, Talib Zanna, Michael
Eric, Tonye Jekiri, Rasheed Sulaimon, Festus Ezeli and Ekpe Udoh, all of whom had made the initial 20-man list for the championship.
D’Tigers who arrived Kigali on Monday night had their first practice on Tuesday evening after results of their Covid-19 tests returned negative.
The Afrobasket qualifiers are scheduled to hold between November 25 and November 29 at the Kigali Arena.
THE 12-MAN D’TIGERS
6 - Ike Diogu 4 - Ben Uzoh 1 - Ike Iroegbu 11 - Obi Emegano 3 - Caleb Agada 2 - Keith Omoerah 12 - Ibe Agu 5 - Emmanuel Omogbo 22 - Michael Gbinije 32 - Amanze Egezeke 0 - Jordan Ogundiran 9 - Chima Moneke Head Coach: Mike Brown