The Basketball Federation has announced that the men`s senior national team, DTigers; will only have four days for their final camping ahead of the qualification games for the 2021 FIBA Afrobasket.
The team is expected to fly into Kigali, the host city of the qualifiers on Monday, 23 November which gives the team a few days to get ready for the tournament which tips off on Friday, 27th. According to the President, Engr. Musa Kida, that is the best the Federation could do considering the circumstance.
"We have to be honest with ourselves as a federation. Funding is a key determinant for most of our plans and programs. According to the popular saying, cut your coat according to your size, but for us at the federation, it is cutting our cost according to our cloth. Maybe in future, when our financial fortunes improve, we can camp players for as long as necessary"
However, he acknowledged that a longer camp would have been the most ideal
"Longer camping period would have been the best option for the team. It would have enabled the boys to have enough time to blend under Coach Mike Brown"
Nigeria is currently grouped along with Rwanda, Mali and Algeria who recently withdrew from the qualifiers citing financial constraints. Since the top three teams in each group qualify for the continental tournament, Nigeria will pick a ticket regardless of our performance if Algeria is not replaced by another country.
Our first game is on Saturday against Rwanda. Tip off time - 8pm
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