D’Tigers begin preparations for 2025 FIBA AfroBasket qualifiers

• Nigeria’s D’Tigers have begun preparations for the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket Qualifiers, set to take place in Tripoli, Libya, from February 17-24, 2025
• Head Coach Abdulrahman Mohammed will lead the squad, assisted by Deji Akindele and Portland Trail Blazers’ assistant coach, Isikaku Ikenna Smart
• The top three teams from the group will advance to the 2025 AfroBasket tournament in Angola, making these matches a must-win for Nigeria

Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, has officially begun preparations for the third window of the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket Qualifiers, set to take place in Tripoli, Libya, from February 17-24, 2025. 

The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) confirmed the team’s schedule, announcing a two-phase camping program to ensure the squad is in top shape for the crucial qualifiers.

The first phase of preparations will be held in Abuja, Nigeria, where home-based players are expected to report at Bentley Hotel on Monday, February 10. This phase will run until February 16, after which the foreign-based players will join the selected domestic stars in Tripoli for the final phase and the tournament itself.

Coaching team and roster

D’Tigers will once again be led by Head Coach Abdulrahman Mohammed, who guided the team in the first window of the qualifiers. 

He will be assisted by Deji Akindele, a former Nigerian international, and Isikaku Ikenna Smart, an NBA assistant coach with the Portland Trail Blazers.

The preliminary roster includes a mix of home-based and foreign-based talents from leagues across Europe, Asia, and Africa. 

Some notable names on the list include; Zaid Hearst (Zamora, Spain); Mike Nuga (Valmiera Glass, Latvia); Rayyan AR Salis (Gboko City Chiefs, Nigeria); Ike Nwamu (CCMB, France) – Team Captain. 

Several Rivers Hoopers players like Okiki Michael (Rivers Hoppers, Nigeria); Sulaimon Azeez (Hoops & Reads, Nigeria); and Patrick Abah (Royal Hoopers, Nigeria), which blends the squad with local talent and experience.

Nigeria's tough qualification challenge

D’Tigers currently sit at the bottom of Group B after a poor outing in the previous qualifying window, where they lost all three of their matches. 

The team faces a tough challenge as only the top three teams from the group will advance to the 2025 AfroBasket tournament in Angola.

With a fresh squad and a focused technical team, Nigeria will look to turn their fortunes around and secure their place in the continental tournament. 

The qualifiers in Libya will be a true test of D’Tigers' determination to bounce back on the African basketball stage.

Paris Olympics 2024: Wakama of Nigerian D’Tigress named best female basketball coach at tournament

Previously, TheRadar reported that Rena Wakama made a historic impact at the Paris 2024 Olympics by leading Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, to an unprecedented quarter-finals appearance.

This achievement represented the first time any African team, male or female, has reached this stage in Olympic basketball history.