President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Tijani Umar, has assured basketball-loving Nigerians that the senior male national team, D’ Tigers, will not disappoint at the championship.
This is following the draws for the 2015 FIBA Africa Basketball Championship on Saturday, April 4, at the Carthage Acropolium in Tunis, Tunisia.
Nigeria has been pitted against former champions and host, Tunisia, in Group A alongside little known Uganda which is making a debut at the continental showpiece, as well as the first of the three wild card teams which will be announced at the end of April by FIBA Africa.
D’Tigers, now the sixth ranked team in Africa (40th in the world) will be hoping to feast on number four ranked Tunisia, who last won the competition in 2011.
The tournament, which will be held from August 19 to 30 in the Tunisian cities of Nabeul and Tunis, will serve as a qualifying event for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Umar said: “D’Tigers would not disappoint the country. The NBBF will do everything best possible to see that the team prepares very well for the championship and live up to expectations.
“There is no doubt the championship will be a tough one, but I want to assure that our team is equal to the task of making the country proud.
“The draw has been made and now we will take to the next stage of our preparations, and with God on our side, there is no cause for alarm.”
In Group B, defending champion, Angola, who will be gunning for its 12th title under the tutelage of new but experienced coach, Moncho Lopez, will battle Mozambique, Morocco and another Wild Card entry.
While Afrobasket 2013 runners-up, Egypt, will hope to go a step further than its fairytale run carried it in Abidjan, has set up an interesting matchup against West African foes in Cameroon and Mali who threw up a surprise to qualify ahead of 2013 bronze medalist, Senegal, alongside Gabon, makes up group C.
Finally, the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire who dramatically ended up fourth at home in 2013 will have the Nigerian-born Alex Uwora-tutored Cape Verde to battle against, debutant Zimbabwe and the third wild card pick to compete against in Group D.
It is the third time that Tunisia will get to stage the Afrobasket, having previously hosted it in 1965 and 1987.
Seven teams tabled bids for the three wild cards available to the Tunisian showpiece. Among them are South Africa, Algeria, Central African Republic, Rwanda, Senegal, Congo and Guinea.
The Afrobasket, otherwise known as the Africa Cup of Nations, began in 1962 in Egypt.
