Basketball
FIBA WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS: D’TIGERS LOSE TO COTE D’IVOIRE
D’Tigers suffered their first loss at the on-going 2019 FIBA World Cup qualifiers against Cote d’Ivoire. The Nigerian side lost by 72 points to 46 at the Palaise des Sports arena on Friday.
In what was going to be a night the team will hope to forget in a hurry, Cote d’Ivoire raced into an 8 point early lead in the first quarter to set the tone for the final outcome of the game.
The team trailed throughout the game (10-14. 9-14, 12-27, 15-17) which has gone down as the heaviest defeat by D’Tigers since Coach Alex Nwora took charge in 2017.
D’Tigers returnee, Ekene Ibekwe was the team’s top performer with 8 points, 10 rebounds and 2 steals while team captain, Ike Diogu was the highest scorer with 10 points and 5 rebounds.
On the night, D’Tigers could only manage a 35.7% from the 2 points shots compared to 44.7% of the Ivoirians who also had a 41.7% conversion from the 3 point line as against Nigeria’s 4.5%.
In his post match reaction, Nwora commended the boys for putting up a decent show despite the fatigue and little time together in camp for training.
He said the Ivoirians did a good job in containing his team’s offense after the team only managed to score just a single 3 point shot throughout the game saying it was going to be tough for any team to win with such poor shooting record.
“I know we are fighters, Ivory Coast played at home, they had their home support and that got to us a little bit too.”
“I am proud of the way we fought but we could have done more to represent Nigeria better but we have 2 more games to regain our respect in Africa and hopefully we will do a better job tomorrow against Central Africa,” Nwora said.
On his part, Diogu said the team did not execute the game as planned while missing a lot of their scoring chances which cost the team dearly but stressed that it is not enough for the panic button.
“We missed easy shots. A lot of those three shots that were wide open.”
“If I am being honest, do I think Ivory Coast is a better team than us? No. I think if we play them 20 times, we will beat them 20 times out of the 20 but unfortunately, that’s why the game is played.
“All it takes is one night to be off. They played well, hats off to them but is it a reason for me to be concerned? No, because we never shot like that before from 3 or 2”
Diogu is optimistic that all mistakes will be corrected on Saturday when they face 3rd placed Central Africa Republic.
The fifth edition of the Dr & Dr (Mrs.) D.K. Olukoya Women’s Basketball Competition is set to take place in Lagos on July 14 and 15, 2025, with eight of Nigeria’s top women’s basketball teams battling for honours in the two-day tournament.
The competition, held annually in celebration of the joint birthday of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) General Overseer, Dr. Daniel Olukoya, and his wife, Dr. (Mrs.) Folashade Olukoya, continues to grow in prestige and importance on the Nigerian basketball calendar.
Speaking ahead of the event, Chairman of the Main Organising Committee, Godwin Enakhena, acknowledged the logistical challenges encountered in planning this year’s edition due to scheduling conflicts at the National Stadium’s indoor sports hall in Lagos—the tournament’s usual venue.
“Putting together the 2025 edition has been a bit challenging because of the congested calendar at the stadium, but we are determined not to disappoint the teams that have been looking forward to it,” Enakhena said. “We’ve secured two days, and we’ll make the most of the opportunity.”
Enakhena, who is also the Director of Sports at MFM, said the timing of the tournament is ideal for teams preparing for the new Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Women’s Premier League season.
“Several teams participating in the league reached out and pleaded for the competition to hold, as it offers a valuable platform to fine-tune preparations ahead of the first phase of the NBBF Women’s League, which begins at the end of July,” he added.
The Dr & Dr (Mrs.) D.K. Olukoya Women’s Basketball Tournament has become a key fixture in supporting and promoting women’s basketball in Nigeria, while also serving as a birthday tribute to two of MFM’s most influential figures.
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Musa Kida, the president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), has been appointed as a non-executive chairman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), the country’s apex oil company. His appointment is part of the sweeping overhaul that the Nigerian president, Bola Tinubu made in the first working day after the Sallah break.
The sacking of the board of the NNPC sees the appointment of Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the new Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), replacing Mele Kolo Kyari. Prior to his current appointment, Kida was the Deputy Managing Director, Deep Water Services, of Total Nigeria.
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Basketball
NSC DG Bukola Olopade Congratulates NBBF Boss Musa Kida for new appointment as NNPC Chairman
The Director General of the National Sports Commission NSC, Bukola Olopade, has congratulated the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, Musa Kida, for his appointment as the new Board Chairman of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Olopade said Musa Kida has been one of Nigeria’s most efficient and Productive Sports administrators who has sacrificed a lot for the growth of Nigerian Basketball.
The DG maintained that his latest appointment is a testament to his years of passion, hard work, dedication and a very successful track record in the oil sector for more than two decades.
” Musa Kida is an accomplished administrator whose achievements cut across both the oil sector and Nigerian basketball. I have no doubt that the NNPC Limited will attain better efficiency and attract more investment under his watch”.
” Under his leadership as the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, we have seen the steady growth of the country’s basketball and how the National teams have continued to achieve new heights.
” At the last Olympic Games in France, the Nigeria Women’s Basketball team, D’Tigress was one of the shining stories for Team Nigeria, where they set a new record by making it to the knockout phase before losing to the United States”.
” I personally know the efforts behind the scenes that kida put in for Nigeria to achieve that feat with the girls in France and the Nigerian girls have been an unrivalled team on the continent for some time now”.
The DG added that he does not doubt that Musa Kida will use his new position to further earnest the development of Nigerian Sports especially basketball especially now that there is a new focus on growing a sustainable Sports Economy.
” Whilst the Oil sector will benefit immensely from the Expertise of Musa Kida as the new Board Chairman of the NNPC Limited, Mr President, has further helped to place Nigerian Sports in a better pedestal by putting one of us in a very strategic place like the NNPC”, he concluded.
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