By Maxwell Kumoye and Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye
The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), has made public a 24 man D’Tigers’ provisional roster for the crucial final Window 2025 Afrobasket Qualifiers scheduled to hold in Tripoli, the Libyan capital later this month.
The roster was made public over the weekend and it include 11 players from 4 clubs in the domestic league with Champions, Rivers Hoopers having the lion share of 5 players.
One of the biggest club on the domestic front, Hoops N’ Read has 3 on the list while Wisdom Anyaoha and Rayyan AR Salis from Gboko City Chiefs is joined by Customs’ shooting guard Ibe Agu.
The 11 home base players will be supported by 13 other players from Europe, Asia and Africa for the first phase of D’Tigers camping in Abuja.
The foreign base players are from Croatia, France, Ghana, Italy, Japan, Kosovo, Latvia, Poland, Russia and Spain. Italy, Japan and Spain have two players each.
Coach Abdulrahman Mohammed and his streak of Tigers are expected to report to Bentley Hotel in Utako District in Abuja from Monday the 10th of February and will spend a week together before heading to Libya.
He will be assisted by former D’Tigers center and 2017 Afrobasket silver medallist, 41 year old, Deji Akindele and Isikaku Ikenna Smart, an assistant video coordinator for the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers.
Isikaku Ikenna Smart is also the founder and CEO of the Smart Sport Foundation, a humanitarian aid organization that provides basketball shoes and resources to underprivileged athletes and coaches.
D’Tigers will be captained by 31 years- old shooting guard and 2017 Afrobasket silver medallist, Ikechukwu Sean Nwamu for the make or mar Qualifiers.
Reacting to his inclusion in the provisional roster point guard, Ademola Kareem Joseph of Hoops N’ Reads said:“I am thrilled and excited that my tireless efforts and hard work, training everyday and giving my best on and off the court, has borne fruit.
“This is the second time I’m playing on the National level and I’m glad that I have been given another chance to represent my country.”
“I give all glory to God who made sure that my efforts last season were recognized by Coach Adulrahman, a very passionate basketball stakeholder.”
The first time Kareem Joseph, received the invitation to represent my country was in 2023 for the 2023 FIBA World Cup African Qualifiers, but he couldn’t play due to an ACL injury suffered during Invitational West Africa Basketball Championship, then he just won the NBBF Men’s Premier League with Kwara Falcons and was heading to BAL and after struggling to recover, the point guard just couldn’t make it in time.
He strongly believe that D’Tigers have what it takes to return from Tripoli with the Afrobasket ticket to Angola.
“My dream for the team is for us to win all games at stake and hope that all results goes in our favour to qualify for the FIBA AfroBasket 2025.”
Nigeria, the 2015 AfroBasket champions and four-time continental silver medalists, will journey to Libya to compete in the last and final window of the 2025 FIBA Men’s AfroBasket Qualifiers with host Libya, Cape Verde and Uganda.
Nigeria needs to win at least two of the three games they are expected to play and hope that Uganda bottles it chances. Cape Verde currently on 6 points are certain to reach the finals next year even with three defeats in this Window.
THE PROVISIONAL ROSTER
Overseas Based
Zaid Hearst – Zamora – Spain
Mike Nuga – Valmiera Glasses – Latvia
Ike Nwamu – CCMB – France
Agada Caleb – Avtador – Russia
Ugochukwu Simon – Virtus Ragusa – Italy
Martins Igbanu – Niigata Albirex BB – Japan
Abdul Malik Abu – Arriva P. Cukier – Poland
Christian Mekowulu – Akita Northern Happinets – Japan
Talib Zanna – KK Cibona – Croatia
Bassey Effiong – Spinet Knight – Ghana
Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu Pallacanestro Varese – Italy
Jason Jitoboh – Vellaznimi – Kosovo
John Egbunu – Breogan – Spain
Home Based
Patrick Abah – Royal Hoopers Vincent Buchi – Royal Hoopers
Ifeanyi Koko – Royal Hoopers
Abel Offia – Royal Hoopers
Okiki Michael – Royal Hoppers
Kareem Joseph – Hoops N’ Reads
Clinton Osabuohein Best – Hoops N’ Reads
Sulaimon Azeez – Hoops N’ Reads
Wisdom Anyaoha – Gboko City Chiefs
Rayyan AR Salis – Gboko City Chiefs
Ibe Agu – Customs