Igoche praises D’Tigers for clinching 2025 Afrobasket qualification
Mark Igoche Applauds D’Tigers for Securing 2025 Afrobasket Qualification
Basketball promoter and founder of the Mark D’ Ball Basketball Championship, Mark Igoche, has praised D’Tigers for booking their place at the 2025 Afrobasket tournament in Angola with a game to spare, The PUNCH reports.
The Nigerian men’s basketball team sealed their qualification with impressive victories over Libya (75-70) and Uganda (87-67) before wrapping up their campaign with a dominant 77-62 win against Cape Verde on Sunday.
Igoche lauded the team’s performance under coach Abdulrahman Mohammed, particularly their outstanding fourth-quarter effort against Uganda, where they outscored their opponents 32-8.
“All I saw in the games against Libya and Uganda was a resilient team playing with passion and determination to overcome all challenges, especially in the fourth quarter against Uganda. This embodies the Nigerian spirit,” Igoche said.
He also expressed optimism about the future of basketball in Nigeria, citing the recent establishment of the National Sports Commission (NSC) led by Mallam Shehu Dikko as Chairman and Bukola Olopade as Director General.
“This achievement should not overshadow the deep-seated issues in Nigerian basketball, but the good news is that with the NSC now in place, led by seasoned sports administrators, the sport is on the path to a reset,” he added.
Meanwhile, NSC Chairman Dikko has assured the Federal Government’s support for D’Tigers ahead of the tournament in Angola while advocating for greater inclusion of domestic league players in future campaigns.
“I reviewed the final 12-man roster and noticed only two home-based players. We are working towards increasing the number of domestic league players in the national team,” Dikko stated.
He emphasized that the strength of a country’s national team is a reflection of the quality of its domestic league.
“Our progress in basketball will be determined by how many home-based players are good enough to represent the national team, rather than relying on those who made their names abroad before joining the squad,” he added.
Dikko also pledged to address the ongoing issues affecting Nigerian basketball, working closely with the Nigeria Basketball Federation to foster unity among stakeholders.
Nigeria last won the Afrobasket title in 2015, and Dikko has set a goal of reclaiming the trophy in Angola as part of the commission’s podium performance campaign.
