Nigeria national basketball team, D’Tigers’ captain, Ike Diogu is excited about the availability of promising players taking up roles in the Nigerian team.
Diogu who led Nigeria to qualify for the Second Round of the 2019 FIBA World Cup African qualifiers advised that the emerging talents be kept together.
Jordan Nwora, Ikena Iroegbu, Ikechukwu Nwamu, Bryant Mbamalu are some of the young and exciting players in D’Tigers squad.
But it was 19 year old Jordan Nwora, the son of D’Tigers coach, Alex Nwora, who caught the eyes of many with his outstanding showing for the team at the recent 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup African qualifiers in Lagos.
Nwora finished with team-highs 21.7 points and eight rebounds per contest as Nigeria extended their winning streak to six games.
“I am excited about these guys because they are the future (of Nigeria basketball). We saw it last year in Tunisia (FIBA AfroBasket 2017),” Diogu told FIBA.com.
“Jordan (Nwora), Ikena Iroegbu, [Ikechukwu] Nwamu, Bryant [Mbamalu], – all those guys are young. I hope those guys continue to stay together because they have a chance to be really good.
“Unfortunately, I am a bit older than those guys, I don’t get that long to play with them. But I know when I step down the future of Nigeria basketball is at excellent hands.”
D’Tigers are through to the 12-team Second Round where they will face Group F opponents Senegal, Mali, Rwanda, the Central African Republic and Cote d’Ivoire.
Under FIBA’s new competition system, five African teams will win the right to qualify for the 32-team FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in China.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
