Nigeria 18-man Squad Storms Ouagadougou Friday

Nigeria senior men basketball team D’Tigers will travel to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on Friday for the first leg tie against the Burkinabe in group-E double qualifiers for the 29^th Afrobasket and the 11^th All Africa Games.

The Nigerian side is made up of an 18-man list led by the president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Tijjani Umar will take on the Burkinabe on Monday March 16 with the return leg slated for March 25 in Nigeria.

The squad is made up of twelve players with ten of them drawn from the Nigerian DStv Premier Basketball League and two foreign based players.

Nigeria hope of qualifying for her 17^th outing at Africa biggest basketball showpiece rest on coaches Sani Ahmed and Ayinla Johnson and twelve players which includes Olumide Oyedeji (centre); Ejike Ugboaja (forward); Stanley gumut (forward); Abubakar Usman (guard); Matthew Onmonya (forward); and Ibrahim Yusuf (guard/forward).

Other players in the squad are Adeolu Olaiya Ojo (guard); Abdulwahab Yakubu (guard); Abdulwahab Yahaya (forward); Azuoma Dike (guard); Dele Ademola (forward) and Abayomi Oyeniyi (forward). The delegation also has Muktar Khaleh, Patrick Okeke (S.G, NBBF); Patrick Omorodion (media); Dr. Ohida Suleiman (team doctor) and Dayo Ogunkunle (physio).

According to the team head Coach Sani Ahmed that the team will not disappoint Nigerians as the players and its handlers has its mind set for picking the sole slot in the group.

“We respect our opponent (Burkina Faso) but they are not capable of stopping from qualifying for both the Afrobasket and All Africa Games as we looking forward to challenging for the Afrobasket title and also defending our All Africa Games gold medal won four years ago in Mozambique.

“The players are ready to prove that they are worthy ambassadors of Nigeria basketball and mentally, physically and psychological prepared for the two-leg qualifier, Coach Ahmed concluded.

The team will fly to Lagos from their Abuja camp from where they expected to connect an afternoon flight aboard ASky airline.