Basketballghana.com can report earlier today, Nigeria’s National Men’s Basketball Team (D’Tigers) lost its opening game of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers.
Nigeria lost 71-79 to fellow West African nation Cape Verde with a changed lineup from the team that represented Nigeria in its last international outing at the 2020 Olympics.
D’Tigers had as many as eight NBA players on its Olympic roster but none of those players was available due to their involvement in the 2021-2022 NBA Regular Season.
As such, players dropped by Mike Brown for the Olympics including veteran Forward Ike Diogu, competed in today’s game. Brown is also involved in NBA duties at the moment as Associate Head Coach of Golden State Warriors.
Diogu made a good return to the national team registering 13 points, eight rebounds, an assist, two steals and a block in 36 minutes. Veteran Guard Ben Uzoh added 11 points and 11 assists in the loss.
Cape Verde’s Anderson Correia led all players with 15 points; he grabbed seven rebounds in the win. Qualifiers including Ivory Coast’s matchup against Angola (tips off at 16:00 GMT) are to take place later today.
By Yaw Adjei-Mintah
@YawMintYM on Twitter
