Nigeria’s female basketball national team, D’Tigress have received a morale-boosting charge from highly respected administrator, Colonel Sam Ahmedu (retired) ahead of their clash with South Korea in their opening fixture at the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin, Germany.
Sports247 gathered that Ahmedu, who is the president of FIBA Africa Zone 3 and an executive committee member of the continental body, urged the Nigerian team to fly the country’s flag with pride, passion and determination during the 16-team expanded tournament.
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Ahmedu, who is also a board member of Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) and former FIBA technical delegate, urged the players to draw from their contienntal dominance and employ the same fighting spirit that helped them win five straight editions of AfroBasket.
He also reminded them that Nigeria has won a total of seven African titles, including back-to-back triumphs in 2003 and 2005 as well as all the editions from 2017 to 2025 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, which the erudite basketball buff believes they can replicate at Berlin 2026.
“I want them to remember their run to the quarter-finals of the 2018 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Tenerife, Spain, where they defeated European heavyweights Turkey and Greece before falling to eventual champions, the United States.
“That achievement was followed by another historic quarter-final appearance at the 12-team Olympic basketball tournament in France, further establishing D’Tigress among the elite teams in international women’s basketball,” said Ahmedu.
His comments were contained in a press statement signed on behalf of Nigeria Basketball Network (NBN) by venteran sports journalist, Maxwell Kumoye, who also noted that D’Tigress can excel with the presence of experienced players like Ezinne Kalu and Promise Amukamara.
He also mentioned Elizabeth Balogun, Victoria Macaulay, Murjanatu Musa and team captain, Amy Okonkwo, who have been part of D’Tigress since the 2016 Olympic qualifying tournament in Nantes, as players who can play in Berlin with confidence and international experience.
