NBBF names 24 man provisional roster for crucial 2025 Afrobasket Qualifiers

The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), has made public a 24 man D’Tigers’ provisional roster for the crucial final Window 2025 Afrobasket Qualifiers scheduled to hold in Tripoli, the Libyan capital later this month.

The roster was made public over the weekend and it include 11 players from 4 clubs in the domestic league with Champions, Rivers Hoopers having the lion share of 5 players.

One of the biggest club on the domestic front, Hoops N’ Read has 3 on the list while Wisdom Anyaoha and Rayyan AR Salis from Gboko City Chiefs is joined by Customs’ shooting guard Ibe Agu.

The foreign base players are from Croatia, France, Ghana, Italy, Japan, Kosovo, Latvia, Poland, Russia and Spain. Italy, Japan and Spain have two players each.

Coach Abdulrahman Mohammed and his streak of Tigers are expected to report to Bentley Hotel in Utako District in Abuja from Monday the 10th of February and will spend a week together before heading to Libya.

He will be assisted by former D’Tigers center and 2017 Afrobasket silver medallist, 41 year old, Deji Akindele and Isikaku Ikenna Smart, an assistant video coordinator for the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers.

Isikaku Ikenna Smart is also the founder and CEO of the Smart Sport Foundation, a humanitarian aid organization that provides basketball shoes and resources to underprivileged athletes and coaches.

A look at the team Abdulrahman Mohammed will be working with before he names his final roster shows that the coach has opted for versatile players with excellent vision of the game.

31 year old, 2017 Afrobasket silver medallist, Ikechukwu Sean Nwamu, a shooting guard will captain D’Tigers for the make or mar qualifiers.

Shortly after the provisional roster was made public, this is how point guard, Ademola Kareem Joseph of Hoops N’ Reads reacted to his inclusion.

“I am thrilled and excited that my tireless efforts and hard work, training everyday and giving my best on and off the court, has borne fruit.”

He went on to add, “This is the second time I’m playing on the national level and I’m glad that I have been given another chance to represent my country.”

“I give all glory to God who made sure that my efforts last season were recognized by Coach Adulrahman, a very passionate basketball stakeholder.”

The first time Kareem Joseph, received the invitation to represent his country was in 2023 for the 2023 FIBA World Cup African Qualifiers, but he couldn’t play due to an ACL injury suffered during Invitational West Africa Basketball Championship, then.

He just won the NBBF Men’s Premier League with Kwara Falcons and was heading to BAL and after struggling to recover, the point guard just couldn’t make it on time.

He strongly believe that D’Tigers have what it takes to return from Tripoli with the Afrobasket ticket to Angola.

“My dream for the team is for us to win all games at stake and hope that all results goes in our favour to qualify for the FIBA AfroBasket 2025.”

THE PROVISIONAL ROSTER

OVERSEA BASE:

Zaid Hearst – Zamora – Spain
SMALL FORWARD

Mike Nuga – Valmiera Glasses – Latvia
SHOOTING GUARD

Ike Nwamu – CCMB – France
SHOOTING GUARD

Agada Caleb – Avtador – Russia
SMALL FORWARD

Ugochukwu Simon – Virtus Ragusa – Italy

SMALL FORWARD

Martins Igbanu – Niigata Albirex BB – Japan

FORWARD

Abdul Malik Abu – Arriva P. Cukier – Poland

POWER FORWARD

Christian Mekowulu – Akita Northern Happinets – Japan

POWER FORWARD

Talib Zanna – KK Cibona – Croatia
POWER FORWARD

Bassey Effiong – Spinet Knight – Ghana
CENTER

Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu Pallacanestro Varese – Italy
FORWARD

Jason Jitoboh – Vellaznimi – Kosovo
CENTER

John Egbunu – Breogan – Spain
CENTER

HOME BASE:

Patrick Abah – Royal Hoopers
FORWARD

Vincent Buchi – Royal Hoopers
SMALL FORWARD

Ifeanyi Koko – Royal Hoopers
CENTER

Abel Offia – Royal Hoopers
SHOOTING GUARD

Okiki Michael – Royal Hoppers
POINT GUARD

Kareem Joseph – Hoops N’ Reads
POINT GUARD

Clinton Osabuohein Best – Hoops N’ Reads
CENTER

Sulaimon Azeez – Hoops N’ Reads
SMALL FORWARD

Wisdom Anyaoha – Gboko City Chiefs
SHOOTING GUARD

Rayyan AR Salis – Gboko City Chiefs
SHOOTING GUARD

Ibe Agu – Customs
SHOOTING GUARD

Nigeria, the 2015 AfroBasket champions and four-time continental silver medalists, will journey to Libya to compete in the last and final window of the 2025 FIBA Men’s AfroBasket Qualifiers with host Libya, Cape Verde and Uganda.

Nigeria needs to win at least two of the three games they are expectedly to play and hope that Uganda buggles it’s chances. Cape Verde currently on 6 points are certain to reach the finals next year even with three defeats in this Window.

Host Libya with 5 points will land in Angola with two more wins while Nigeria’s expedition to Luanda will end if Uganda picks two wins in this qualifying window.

Results of first round of Qualifiers in Group B

Cape Verde 78–73 Uganda
Nigeria 82–89 (OT) Libya
Uganda 72–62 Nigeria
Libya 68–72 Cape Verde
Libya 71–59 Uganda
Cape Verde 78–62 Nigeria

Next round of games in Group B – 21-23 February 2025

Libya vs. Nigeria – 21/02/2025
Uganda vs. Cape Verde

C. Verde vs. Libya – 22/02/2025
Nigeria vs. Uganda

Nigeria vs. C. Verde – 23/02/2025
Uganda vs. Libya

FIBA Men’s AfroBasket 2025 will be the 31st edition of Africa’s most prestigious continental men’s basketball championship. The tournament will take place in Luanda, the Angolan capital between the 12th and 24th of August, 2025, for the fourth time after they hosted the event in 1989, 1999 and 2007.

Under FIBA’s new competition system the AfroBasket is held every four years and it comprises 16 national teams divided into four groups of four teams each.

The 16 national teams are met after a 20-nation AfroBasket Qualifier that runs through three qualifying windows in February and November 2024 and concludes in February 2025.

Tunisia won the last two editions of the tournament in 2017 on home soil before lifting their third AfroBasket trophy in 2021 in Kigali, Rwanda.