Ahead of Nigeria’s first game at this year’s FIBA Africa Men’s Senior Basketball Championship in Luanda, Angola, a former captain of the country’s national team, Skambo Morrison has faulted the preparation that D’Tigers got for the competition.
Sports247 reports that Morrison is worried that D’Tigers, who have won this competition only once in history, will not be able to withstand what he believes will be tough opposition all through the competition, which began intensely on Tuesday.
The former chairman of Kaduna State Basketball Association appeared to have been proven right from the word go, when erstwhile minnows, Guinea pulled off this year’s first shock by defeating Senegal, and Morrison stressed that AfroBasket 2025 will be tougher than all before it.
He affirmed, “Playing championships like AfroBasket, honestly, is not a walk in the park. You just can’t wake up from your bedroom, then you quickly jump into a bigger field and you want to compete.”
Morrison noted further that ‘big names’ do not win high-profile games in modern-day nasketball, hence his verdict that Nigeria will not find the going smooth and easy in their first group game against Madagascar on Wednesday.
He added, “There is no small team in basketball across Africa. It used to be names, but now everybody seems to be prepared, and everyone is now ready to play.”
The youth promoter with links in England then shot his views back to Nigeria’s build-up for the championship, insisting that D’Tigers did not get the best platform ahead of their trip to Luanda.
“Regarding our level of preparation, I think we have to really get it right. Sincerely speaking, sometimes we do as if we are not going for something that is very important and tough.
“We do as if we can just go and use our names to win; but nobody does that kind of thing anymore,” Morrison averred.
He concluded by providing details of what he described as Nigeria’s paltry preparations for Angola 2025 and just stopped short of predicting doom for D’Tigers, who will also play holders Tunisia and eastern neighbours Cameroon in their group.
“For me, regarding our level of preparation, I don’t want to give it any top-notch shot. The timing was short.
“The friendly matches they played were not up to standard and not sufficient … lost one, won one; the next day, they are out of the country and off to Angola.
“No country is going to AfroBasket lightly. So, our preparations, for me personally, we’re not okay,” reiterated the outspoken player-turned-pastor.
