Oyedeji Backs D’Tigers For Afrobasket Glory Despite Tough Group

Despite being drawn in a tough pool which has Madagascar, Tunisia and Cameroon, FIBA Ambassador and Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) board member, Olumide Oyedeji, has expressed confidence in Nigeria’s men’s national basketball team, D’Tigers to make it out of the group in the 2025 FIBA Afrobasket Championship.

The Africa elite African Championship is scheduled to take place in Angola from August 12 to 24.

Speaking in an exclusive interview on Tuesday, the former national team captain emphasized that despite being drawn in a challenging group, Nigeria has the talent and what it takes to make a deep run in the tournament.

“Nigeria is in a tough group, no doubt about it,” Oyedeji admitted. “But I believe we’re going to come out of the group 100%. We have both the talent and the ability to qualify. We are not going to be pushed over, we will make our presence felt on the continent.”

Nigeria, placed in Group B alongside defending champions Tunisia, Cameroon, and Madagascar, faces one of the most competitive pools in the tournament.

Oyedeji, captain of the 2015 Afrobasket-winning D’Tigers, stressed that every team in the competition is capable of causing an upset.

“Every team is good. Every team is going to be tough. All the teams that participated in the Olympic qualifiers are good enough to wreck havoc,” he said.

He further highlighted that no team in the tournament should be underestimated, noting the presence of powerhouses like South Sudan, Cameroon, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire, and hosts Angola.

“I don’t see any team that will be easily knocked out. It’s not going to be an easy ride,” he warned.

On Nigeria’s technical bench, Oyedeji had high praise for Head Coach Abdulrahman, expressing full confidence in his leadership.

“I believe Coach Abdulrahman knows what to do and how he wants his team to be. He’s experienced, he’s man enough, he knows where to strengthen his team. He wants to win, and he will do everything within his power to achieve that,” he affirmed.

Oyedeji, who also serves as president of three major basketball clubs and runs the Olumide Oyedeji Youth Foundation, concluded by calling for full backing from the Nigeria Basketball Federation and the Nigeria Sports Commission (NSC), stressing that with the right support, D’Tigers can be “unstoppable.”

The 2025 FIBA Afrobasket will feature 16 teams, divided into four groups of four teams each. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage.

Sports247.ng