Nigeria’s men’s senior basketball national team, D’Tigers’ former captain, Olumide Oyedeji has backed the current squad to win this year’s African championship in Luanda, Angola, Sports247 reports.
Speaking against the backdrop of the team’s victories over Madagascar and defending champions, Tunisia, Oyedeji enthused that he sees a reflection of the 2015 squad that won Nigeria’s only title so far in the competition’s history.
Oyedeji, who played for over a dozen clubs during his ubiquitous playing career, including stints with Seattle SuperSonics and Orlando Magic in USA’s National Basketball Association (NBA), opined that Coach Mohammed Abdulrahman’s squad has enough talent to clinch this year’s trophy.
The 44-year-old former player added, “Definitely, I believe they have the talent and ability to do the same thing (that we did in 2015). I have no doubt in my mind that they have a couple of players who can win it again for Nigeria.”
The ex-international, who last played for London Lions and retired in 2016, further pointed out that the presence in the current D’Tigers’ squad of fellow-2015 gold medalist, Stan Okoye, who now plays for MoreBanc Andorra in the Spanish Basketball League, adds a touch of experience to this year’s AfroBasket squad.
Oyedeji, who is currently the president of the Nigerian Olympians Association (NOA), noted: “Stan Okoye was a member of that team at AfroBasket 2015. So, we have players with years of experience. So, wow, this is like it was then.
“They also have a couple of new players like Okogie Josh, Caleb Agada, and others … who are all talented enough to bring this trophy back home after ten years.
“So, I’m happy and excited. Hopefully, they can bring this cup back home,” projected Oyedeji, who earlier won bronze at AfroBasket 2011 before marshalling Coach Will Voight’s side to the gold medal in 2015.
Sports247 gathered that Oyedeji now expects the Nigerian squad to stump to a third straight victory by defeating Cameroon this Sunday in their last group game of AfroBasket 2025 at Pavilhao Multiusos de Luanda.
