Sports
D’Tigers players confident of victory at Afrobasket Cup
Three home-based D’Tigers players, who debut for the senior national male basketball team at Stankovic Cup in China, have expressed confidence in Nigeria clinching the Afrobasket Nations Cup in Cote d’Ivoire in August.
Nigeria clinched the third position at the second stage of the Cup held between June 27 and July 9 in Guangzhou, China.
The national team players told newsmen in Lagos that they were happy of being part of the bronze medal winning squad at the Cup.
The players noted that the exposure they had during the competition had imparted positively on them, and they commended the Nigeria Basketball Federation for the opportunity.
Nkem Ojougboh, the Captain of Comets Club of Lagos, said that with the exposure, they were confident that Nigeria would clinch the forthcoming Afrobasket Nations Cup in Cote d’Ivoire.
“For me, the experience I had at the Stankovic Cup is unforgettable and it will help me to do better in other international competitions.
“I had a wonderful experience playing with other quality players from other clubs, most especially foreign clubs.
“We had two weeks training camp in Abuja before we left for China. It was great getting used to other players and understanding the drills of the national team.
“We have a good chance of doing well in Abidjan, considering our next camp coming up in the U.S. The drilling and training would make us as well prepared,’’ Ojougboh said.
In the same vein, Micheal Ohiero, a guard for Mark Mentors Club of Abuja, described his experience as a great one, saying they wanted to do better than coming third in the competition.
“We came third in the Cup in China, we could have done better, but it was still a brilliant outing for us.
“We have a better chance of doing well in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, if we continue with the crop of players we have.
“I believe in my teammates and the coaching crew and also in the federation in all that is being done for our successful outing in Abidjan,’’ Ohiero said.
Contributing, Yahaya Abdulwahab, a forward player for Mark Mentors, said that it was a great experience of being selected to play for Nigeria as a home-based player.
“The basics that I have learnt playing in the local league were very vital to my role with the national team.
“We are going to have a better chance of doing well in Abidjan when we come back together to train and practice with much time at our advantage.
“We just have two weeks of rest before we get back to camp in Orlando, Florida, U.S., where we will be together for another four weeks.
“This is good enough for us to know one another better and understand the game strategies that we will use to conquer in Abidjan,’’ Abdulwahab said.
The two Mark Mentors players also affirmed their confidence in their team’s chances of excelling in the DStv/Final Four playoff coming up later in the year in Lagos.
Only Denmark, ranked 21st globally, sits higher among nations that failed to qualify for the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
England and Chelsea legend John Terry was among those to voice his disappointment, describing Nigeria as a significant loss to a tournament that features 48 nations for the first time.
“Nigeria will be a big miss. This is a World Cup for participants who haven’t had the opportunity to play in the tournament. I would have loved to see a top team like Nigeria there because they’ve got some great individuals. They’re a great nation,” Terry said during a virtual roundtable session organised by SuperSport.
“I think they are a big miss because Nigeria probably would have gone further in the competition, but unfortunately, one side’s loss is another’s gain,” the former England captain added.
Eric Chelle’s side finished second in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers behind South Africa, who secured automatic qualification. Nigeria kept their hopes alive with a playoff semi-final victory over Gabon before falling to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the decisive playoff final — their second successive absence from the World Cup after also missing the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The Nigeria Football Federation later challenged DR Congo’s qualification, alleging the use of ineligible players during the campaign, but the appeal was dismissed.
Despite missing the World Cup, the Super Eagles remain Africa’s 3rd highest-ranked team behind Morocco, who sit seventh in the world, and Senegal. Algeria and Egypt complete the continent’s top five.
Defending champions Argentina enter the tournament as the world’s top-ranked side, ahead of Spain, France, England and Portugal. Brazil are sixth, followed by Morocco, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
The next FIFA World Ranking will be released on July 20, a day after the World Cup final.
Chima Akachukwu and Miracle Akhigbe are among the 16 notable stars picked by the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) for the forthcoming Namibia Tour, where the YellowGreens will compete in a T20 and 50-Over Tri-Series, featuring hosts Namibia and Hong Kong China.
Both players make their way back into the YellowGreens fold after periods away from the side and will be eager to contribute their experience and quality as Nigeria pursues success in Namibia.
The NCF said yesterday that the squad, which departs Nigeria today, forms part of the national team’s continued preparations for future international assignments as the YellowGreens seek to build on recent performances and strengthen their standing on the global stage.
Leading the squad is Captain Sulaimon Runsewe, who will spearhead Nigeria’s campaign against two formidable opponents in what promises to be a highly competitive series.
The selected squad combines experienced internationals with emerging talents, providing the technical crew an opportunity to assess player development and team combinations in both the T20 and 50-over formats.
The team will be led on tour by Coaches Leke Oyede and Tamuno John, who will oversee preparations and match operations during the opening phase of the series.
Joining the squad later in Namibia will be the newly appointed Head Coach and High Performance Manager, Stephen Magongo, whose arrival marks another significant step in the Federation’s commitment to strengthening the national team structure and enhancing player development pathways.
Supporting the coaching staff are Team Analyst Jamal Okechukwu, Strength and Conditioning Coach Seye Olympio, and Team Physiotherapist Timothy Adesomowo, forming a well-rounded technical crew focused on maximising player performance and welfare throughout the tour.
The NCF views the Namibia Tri-Series as an important platform for the continued growth of the national team, offering valuable international exposure and competitive match experience against quality opposition. The series will provide the players and technical crew with another opportunity to evaluate progress, fine-tune strategies, and build momentum ahead of future international competitions.
The YellowGreens will face Namibia and Hong Kong China in both T20 and 50-over contests, with the matches expected to test the team’s adaptability, discipline, and resilience in challenging conditions.
Blessing Otu on Monday overcame hard-fighting Kelvin Bebe- Emmanuella in two sets of 6-1, 6-3 to qualify for the second round of the women’s singles of the ongoing 47th Central Bank of Nigeria Senior Tennis Championship, held at the Tennis Courts of the package “B” of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Speaking after the round of 32 game, Otu, who will be 19 years old in September, said she capitalised on her opponent’s weaknesses to gain victory, having studied her game very well.
“Bebe is a very good and tough player. But I studied her game and did the job well.
“Although she tried to come back in the second set, I punctured all her tricks to win the match and move on. I wish I could continue like this in the rest of my games,” she said.
Another member of the Otu family, John Out, was also victorious as he defeated Mohammed Abdusalam 2-1 (6-2, 6-7, 6-1) in the men’s singles category to advance into the round of 32.
But the third Otu in the game, Thomas, was not that lucky as he lost by 6-0, 7-5 in two straight sets to Danjuma Isaac.
In other matches, Michael Emmanuel defeated Ibrahim Aminu to advance, while Drimiya Mevi outclassed Seyi Ogunsakin by beating him 2-1 (6-7, 6-3, 6-1). Action continues tomorrow when other top players, including the men’s singles top seed, Abua Cannice, join the chase for honours.
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