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Nigeria’s D’Tigers begin qualification for AfroCan Basketball Championship
BY MAXWELL KUMOYE
Nigeria’s male senior national team D’Tigers will begin their quest to reach the finals of the 2023 African Basketball Championship scheduled to hold in July in Angola.
The qualifiers begin this Friday at the Palais des Sports de Treichville, Abidjan the Ivorian capital.
The12- man team breezed into Abidjan on Thursday from Lagos.
The President of Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Musa Ahmadu Kida said travelling by road to Abidjan was never in the Federation’s plan for D’Tigers.
“If well planned in advance, a team can travel by road or ship to Abidjan but as has been our custom and tradition in the NBBF, we make sure all the national team players get the very best travelling experience and that’s what we offered them.” Kida stated.
He further explained that out-right falsehood, half truth and innuendos by a particular online publication in recent times will not be treated lightly again as it’s damaging the domestic game and equally driving away the much needed sponsorship from both the government and the private sector.
Three countries from FIBA Africa Zone 3 and one country from Zone 2 are in Abidjan to fight for the sole ticket from the combine Zone 2 and 3 make shift arrangement by FIBA Africa for next month quadrangle AfroCan Championship in Luanda, Angola next month.
FIBA Africa had to hurriedly arrange this make shift Qualifiers due to the fact that seven countries from domant FIBA Africa Zone 2 did not register for the Qualifiers while five other countries in the inactive Zone 3 turned a blind eye to the event.
Countries from Zone 3 that are in the Ivorian capital are Benin Republic, host nation Cote d’Ivoire and Africa’s number one slamming and dunking country, Nigeria. Guinea is holding it down for Zone 2 in Abidjan.
The opening match of the AfroCan Basketball Qualifiers is the confrontation between host Cote d’Ivoire against new comers Benin while hot favourite D’Tigers of Nigeria under the stewardship of coach Ogoh Odaudu will file out against familiar face Guinea in the second game of Match Day 1.
The head Coach of D’Tigers, Ogoh Odaudu, said that the team is in Abidjan for serious business and to get the job done.
Ogoh Odaudu, who led the D’Tigers to a remarkable outing in the sixth and final Window of the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers in Angola in February this year has assembled a twelve man team that will surely give Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea and first timers Benin Republic a run for their money when the Qualifiers tips off today.
Ogoh Odaudu is in Abidjan with the same technical crew, Baba Jubril and Abdulrahman Mohammed. He is confident of a good showing. The roster consists of nine players of the team that represented Nigeria at the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers in Angola in February this year.
Abdulwahab Yakubu, Israel Otobo and Lekan Olatunji make way for Bayo Oduleye, Tolani Buhari and Abba Adamu Adam.
“We’re not here for sightseeing but strictly for business. Our target is to get the qualification ticket first and then prepare for the bigger battle. Our participation in 2019 was a learning experience and we don’t want to let this opportunity slip off our fingers,” he stated.
Nigeria, finished second from bottom during the maiden edition of the AfroCan in 2019 and the country is eagerly looking forward to returning to the championship in Angola.
The winner of this qualifier will be added to Group A in the 2023 AfroCan alongside Kenya and Gabon. It’s the last qualifying ticket for the 12-nation AfroCan as FIBA Africa will attribute one wildcard to complete the tournament’s line-up.
Host Cote d’Ivoire are the biggest threat to Nigeria picking the ticket in Abidjan.
Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire met twice during the World Cup qualifiers in Abidjan and Luanda.
D’Tigers lost in Abidjan but defeated Cote d’Ivoire in Luanda. D’Tigers also met Guinea on two occasions during the World Cup Qualifiers and they won both games.
At the last AfroCan finals, Cote D’Ivoire were a step above Nigeria on the table while Guinea was first from the rear in 2019. Benin Republic will be hoping to reach the finals for the first time.
The coach of the Cheetahs of Benin Republic, Assad John Kadi, has seven members of Elan Coton Basketball Club, winners of the Benin League to produce the fire power and much needed chemistry for them to succeed at the Qualifiers after two weeks of grueling camping program.
NIGERIA TEAM LIST:
✓ Anaiye Johnson Ojoneka
✓ Anyaoha Wisdom Christian
✓ Ezeh Victor Tochukwu
✓ Oduleye Adebayo Adebola
✓ Chimbuo Chinedu Martins
✓ Afuwape Michael Okiki
✓ Daramola Michael Ilerioluwa
✓ Odufuwa Kanyinsola Joseph
✓ Agu Ibe Abuchi
✓ Koko Victor Anthony
✓ Buhari Tolani Ibrahim
✓ Adamu Adam Abba
COACHES:
✓ Ogoh Odaudu – Head Coach
✓ Baba Jibril – Assistant Coach
✓ Abdulrahman Mohammed – Assistant Coach
Match fixtures
JUNE 30 (Friday)
- Cote d’Ivoire vs Benin
- Nigeria vs Guinea
JULY 01 (Saturday)
- Guinea vs Cote d’Ivoire
- Benin Republic vs Nigeria
JULY 02 (Sunday)
- Cote d’Ivoire vs Nigeria
- Guinea vs Benin Republic
By Kunle Solaja, MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez etched his name into FIFA World Cup history on Sunday after becoming only the sixth player ever to be sent off in a World Cup final.
Fernandez was shown a straight red card in the third minute of added time during Argentina’s final against Spain after a reckless challenge on Spanish defender Pau Cubarsí. The dismissal came after the Argentine had earlier been booked for simulation, capping a frustrating evening for the midfielder.
His red card also means Argentina have now produced two players who have been sent off in World Cup finals, more than any other nation.
Sports Village Square recalls that the first-ever red card in a FIFA World Cup final was issued to Argentina’s Pedro Monzón during the 1990 final against West Germany at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Monzón was dismissed as Argentina went on to lose 1-0. In the same match, teammate Gustavo Dezotti was also sent off, making it the only World Cup final to feature two expulsions from the same team.
Fernandez now joins an exclusive and unwanted list of players dismissed in football’s biggest match.
The players sent off in FIFA World Cup finals are:
- Pedro Monzón (Argentina) vs West Germany, 1990
- Gustavo Dezotti (Argentina) vs West Germany, 1990
- Marcel Desailly (France) vs Brazil, 1998
- Zinedine Zidane (France) vs Italy, 2006
- John Heitinga (Netherlands) vs Spain, 2010
- Enzo Fernandez (Argentina) vs Spain, 2026
History has rarely been kind to teams reduced to 10 men in the World Cup final. Except France in 1998, when Marcel Desailly was dismissed late in a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Brazil, every team that has had a player sent off in the final has ended up on the losing side.
Fernandez’s dismissal therefore added another chapter to one of the tournament’s most exclusive and unfortunate records, reinforcing the trend that a red card in the World Cup final has almost always been accompanied by defeat.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK
Africa emerged as the most successful confederation in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with an unprecedented 90 percent of its representatives advancing to the Round of 32.
Nine of the 10 African teams that started the tournament secured places in the knockout phase, giving the Confederation of African Football (CAF) the highest qualification rate among all six continental confederations.
The African nations progressing to the Round of 32 are South Africa, Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Verde, Senegal, Egypt, Ghana, DR Congo and Algeria.
Only one African team failed to survive the group stage, underscoring the continent’s growing competitiveness on football’s biggest stage.
CAF’s 90 per cent success rate placed it ahead of South America’s CONMEBOL, which saw 83.33 per cent of its teams advance, and Europe’s UEFA, whose members recorded an 81.25 per cent qualification rate.
The figures represent a significant shift in the global football landscape, where European and South American nations have traditionally dominated World Cup competitions.
The expanded 48-team format appears to have provided African countries with greater opportunities to showcase their progress, and they responded with a series of impressive performances throughout the group stage.
Cape Verde emerged as one of the tournament’s surprise packages by reaching the knockout rounds for the first time, while South Africa, DR Congo and Algeria also celebrated historic advances.
Senegal made history by becoming the first African nation to score five goals in a World Cup match, while Morocco continued the momentum generated by their remarkable semi-final run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
In contrast, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) endured a difficult campaign, with only 22.22 per cent of its teams progressing. The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) recorded a 50 per cent qualification rate despite having the advantage of three host nations.
Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) failed to place any team in the Round of 32.
World Cup Round of 32 Qualification Rates by Confederation
- CAF (Africa): 90%
- CONMEBOL (South America): 83.33%
- UEFA (Europe): 81.25%
- CONCACAF (North and Central America/Caribbean): 50%
- AFC (Asia): 22.22%
- OFC (Oceania): 0%
The statistics show Africa’s growing influence in world football and raise hopes that the continent could produce its strongest collective performance ever in the knockout stages of a FIFA World Cup.
With nine teams still in contention, Africa enters the Round of 32 with more representatives than any other confederation and a genuine opportunity to challenge for the latter stages of the tournament.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK.
Ecuador will look to continue their strong record against Concacaf opposition when they face Curaçao in a Group E encounter at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The South Americans enter the match having won their last two World Cup meetings with teams from the Concacaf region and will be eager to maintain that trend as they chase a place in the knockout rounds.
For Curaçao, however, the fixture represents an opportunity to create history.
The Caribbean nation is one of the tournament’s debutants and is still searching for its first World Cup victory. After suffering a heavy defeat to Germany in their opening match, Curaçao will be desperate to demonstrate the resilience and determination that earned them a place at the expanded 48-team tournament.
A victory would make them the first of the World Cup 2026 newcomers to register a win and would provide a significant boost to their qualification hopes.
Ecuador are expected to rely on their experience at this level, but they know underestimating Curaçao could prove costly. The underdogs have already shown flashes of attacking quality despite their difficult introduction against Germany.
As the group stage begins to take shape, both teams understand the importance of securing points. Ecuador are chasing progression, while Curaçao are chasing history.
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