Confusion has trailed Nigeria’s national women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, as preparations for the 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket tournament continue to suffer setbacks, barely days to the championship.
The six-time African champions, who are also the current holders of the continental title, have not commenced camping or held any meaningful training ahead of the tournament scheduled to tip off in Ivory Coast on July 25.
Traditionally, the Nigeria Basketball Federation holds a foreign training camp, often in the United States, to prepare the team for international tournaments. However, the National Sports Commission scrapped that arrangement for this year’s edition, mandating all foreign-based players to report to Abuja for a local camp and a “homecoming tournament” before flying to Abidjan.
Unfortunately, that plan has also been stalled. Neither the Sports Commission nor the NBBF has successfully facilitated the travel of players to Abuja. Players remain scattered across the United States and Europe, unsure of when or if they will be flown to Nigeria.
An official of the Sports Commission blamed the delay on limited flight options, saying, “There are just a few West Coast flights and we have not been able to get a single flight that can accommodate the entire delegation.”
Reports claim the Commission was expected to have distributed flight tickets to players in May, but only began sharing them on July 16, just over a week to the start of the competition.
Meanwhile, some members of the team are reportedly expected to arrive in Abuja soon, as organisers still hope to stage the homecoming tournament at the Mo Arena, with Kenya and Togo listed as opponents.
Despite being defending champions, D’Tigress now face a race against time to prepare. The players are said to be disheartened by the recurring administrative lapses that seem to appear every time Nigeria is on the brink of a major tournament.
It was also reported that NBBF President Musa Kida has refused to personally fund the camping process as he had done in the past. Sources claim he is still owed hundreds of millions of Naira from previous competitions, making him unwilling to commit further without prior approval and reimbursement.
The 2025 Afrobasket tournament also serves as a qualifying event for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup. The National Sports Commission is expected to oversee Nigeria’s participation in the World Cup and Olympic qualifiers.
Nonetheless, D’Tigress remain strong favourites when the tournament begins in Abidjan. However, their fiercest rivals Senegal, who are now coached by Nigeria’s former head coach Otis Hughley, will be eager to challenge them for the title and extend their record to 12 continental crowns.
As the countdown begins, Nigerian fans can only hope that their queens of the court overcome the odds once again and do the nation proud.
