Nigeria’s Basketball Players, The Tigers have made thier way to Cote D’Ivoire to challenge for a place in next year’s FIBA Basketball World Cup holding in Asia. The Nigeria basketball arena had earlier been disturbed with a lot of irregularities in recent past but has soon dust off all disappointment to face the task ahead of it. Home based player of the Tigers, Michael Okiki has stated why he cannot be frustrated for not always playing most games in the qualifiers.
The Gombe Bulls player has been part of the team in recent past that now made it’s way to the French speaking country for this round of qualifiers. Expressing his feelings, Okiki says he cannot be downcast as there are many factors why the home based basketball players cannot complete for a spot with their foreign counterparts “I don’t feel downcast that I am not being called or called and may not be featured. Originally, we dont have a competitive league here in Nigeria to play lots of games and engage the players to be able to go out there to perform just like the rest members of the team.
“Most teams we are going out there to play, they have been playing games, a lot of it and for a very long time. They play more games than we in a year. They are exposed already. But we in Nigeria, we are just here, we hardly play games. We just workout. So I don’t feel downcast and when ever they call us, we are going to show what we can do to help the team build up”
Coach Mike Brown had earlier invited fifteen players ahead of the tie in this FIBA fourth window qualifiers slated for 26th to 28th August. Nigeria will take on host Cote D’Ivoire and hope to get a better of them as Guinea will patiently wait for the Tigers for thier second encounter. D’Tigers will end thier campaign by playing Angola on 28 August.
