Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, arrived in Angola on Sunday ahead of the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket championship, which is set to commence on Tuesday.
The squad’s final 12-player list was announced on Saturday before their departure to Luanda, where the quadrennial tournament will take place from August 12 to August 24.
Among those selected is NBA shooting guard Josh Okogie of the Houston Rockets. The lineup also features defensive specialist Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu, veteran forwards Talib Zanna and Stan Okoye, plus guard Mike Nuga.
Other members of the roster include forward Devine Eke, center Christian Mekowulu, power forward Martins Igbanu, guard Ugo Andrew Simon, forward Emmanuel Omogbo, guard Ike Nwamu, and playmaker Caleb Agada. The trio of Fola Fayemi, Kareem Joseph, and Mohamed AbdulSalam were cut from the provisional squad.
Peter Olisemeka was declared ineligible and therefore excluded from the competition.
Head coach Mohammed Abdulrahman will guide the team, assisted by coaches Deji Akindele and Ikenna Smart. Co-captains Stan Okoye and Ike Nwamu will lead the former African champions.
Nigeria is placed in Group B with defending champions Tunisia, Cameroon, and Madagascar. The D’Tigers’ campaign begins with a clash against Madagascar on August 13, followed by a game versus Tunisia on August 15.
The group stage wraps up with a match against Cameroon on August 17.
The knockout rounds start on August 18 and will conclude with the final at the Pavilhão Multiusos de Luanda on August 24.
D’Tigers are aiming to secure only their second continental title since their last win a decade ago.
In the previous edition in 2021, Nigeria was surprisingly eliminated by Uganda in the pre-quarterfinal stage.
