Nigeria’s men’s national basketball team, D’Tigers, has completed its selection of 12 players for the forthcoming 2025 FIBA Men’s AfroBasket Championship in Angola. Interim head coach Mohammed Abdulrahman will guide the team, which boasts a mix of NBA talent, experienced players from various leagues, and up-and-coming athletes.
Among the team’s key figures are NBA guard Josh Okogie, defense expert Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu, veteran forward Talib Zanna, adaptable winger Stan Okoye, and energetic guard Mike Nuga. Additional confirmed players for the tournament include forward Devine Eke, center Christian Mekowulu, power forward Martins Igbanu, guards Ugo Andrew Simon and Caleb Agada, forward Emmanuel Omogbo, and sniper Ike Nwamu.
The final roster choices mean that Fola Fayemi, Kareem Joseph, and Mohamed AbdulSalam, who were included in the preliminary squad, will not be accompanying the team. Peter Olisemeka was also excluded due to ineligibility.
D’Tigers will be competing in Group B, where they will encounter Tunisia, Madagascar, and Cameroon. Their tournament will kick off on August 13 against Madagascar, followed by matches against Tunisia and Cameroon.
The AfroBasket competition will unfold in two venues: Namibe will host some group stage events, while Luanda, the capital, will accommodate the remaining group contests and all knockout stages.
For Nigeria, this tournament presents a chance for redemption. Their last appearance in AfroBasket 2021 saw them eliminate prematurely following a disappointing defeat to Uganda in the pre-quarter-finals. This early exit was a major blow for a squad that had previously clinched the championship in 2015 and secured second place in 2017.
Coach Abdulrahman, who assumed the role last year and adeptly led the team through the qualifiers with wins against Libya, Uganda, and Cape Verde, faces the challenge of reinstating Nigeria as a leading force in African basketball.
In their last preparations, the team engaged in two exhibition games against Guinea in Tunisia. They achieved a narrow win in the first match (78-73) but faced a slim loss in the second (68-65). The team has now traveled to Angola to continue their training ahead of the tournament.
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The 2025 AfroBasket is scheduled from August 13 to August 31. With a well-rounded squad, Nigeria is not only aiming to progress beyond their group but also to compete against perennial powers like Angola, Senegal, and defending champions Tunisia for the championship title.
Beyond being just a tournament, this is a chance for Abdulrahman’s D’Tigers to regain national pride and demonstrate why Nigeria is regarded as a basketball powerhouse on the continent.
The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, met with the players prior to their departure, urging them to exude confidence and bring back the trophy.
