D’Tigers Head Coach, Mike Brown, has invited 15 players to camp ahead of the fourth window of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers scheduled for between 26 and 28th of August.
After the 2020 Olympics, Josh Okogie of the Phoenix Suns, Miye Oni who last played for Utah Jazz, and Ike Nwamu with BC Samara of Russia, all returned to the team.
Chimezie Metu of the Sacramento Kings who was part of the team during the last phase of the qualifiers in Rwanda got an invitation alongside Uchenna Iroegbu, Michael Okiki (Gombe Bulls), Michael Oguine (Saint Chamond, France), Ben Emelogu (Rouen Métropole Basket) and Keith Omoerah plying his trade with Jamtland, Sweden.
Ibe Abuchi Agu of the Nigerian Customs team will also be suiting up alongside his compatriots, Michael Gbinije- (Oklahoma City Blue, NBA G League), Amanze Egezeke (Kataja, Finland), John Mathias Iduh (Kano Pillars), Christian Mekowulu (Casademont Zaragoza, Spain) and Abdul-Malik Abu (s.Oliver Wuerzburg, Germany).
The team’s opening game will be against hosts- Cote d’Ivoire on Friday, 26August before facing Guinea a day after. On Sunday, 28 August, the team will square up against Angola.
Currently fourth on the table in Group E after two wins in four games, D’Tigers will hope to hit the ground running in their quest to book a successive World Cup ticket.
FIBA awarded hosting rights for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 to Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines in December 2017.
Eighty national teams are in the hunt to secure their spot in the 32 team tournament through six World Cup qualifying windows, which began from November 2021 till February 2023.
On August 25th, the World Cup Group Phase will start in the three host countries and end in Manila, Philippines for the Final Phase.
On September 10, 2023, a champion will earn the crown.
