By Victor Kanayo
Nigeria is billed to face Angola, Cote d’ivoire, and Guinea Bissau in a fourth window of FIBA World Cup qualifiers between August 26 and 28, 2022.
Already, Mike Brown, the Coach of Nigeria side also known as D’Tigers, has 15 players in camp ahead of the competition.
Most of the players will be making a return after 2020 Olympics which happened in 2021.
They are Josh Okogie of the Phoenix Suns, Miye Oni who last play for Utah Jazz, and Ike Nwamu with BC Samara of Russia.
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 host Cote d’Ivoire on Friday, 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, the team will hope to hit the ground running in its quest to book a successive World Cup ticket.
The 2023 world cup will take place from August 25 to September 10 in Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
