D’Tigress begin AfroBasket title defence against Mozambique on Saturday

D’Tigress, Nigeria’s senior women national basketball team, will begin their 2021 FIBA AfroBasket Women’s Championship campaign against Mozambique on Saturday in Yaounde, Cameroon.

The team will then face Angola on Monday, hoping to top their group to give an indication of their seriousness to maintain their rating as the continent’s topmost side.

Thirteen players and officials were expected to arrive in Yaounde on Tuesday and Wednesday for their 2021 campaign, following several days of camping.

In the last four years, the team have emerged as the most successful team in Africa with back-to-back AfroBasket titles won in 2017 and 2019.

Otis Hughley will certainly be aiming to lead 12 of the 13 players to win the title for the third straight time.

Elizabeth Balogun makes a return to the team, alongside Promise Amukamara, Ezinne Kalu, Pallas Kunayi-Akpannah and Ifunanya Ibekwe.

Nkem Akaraiwe has also been listed alongside Amy Okonkwo, who is set to make her AfroBasket debut with Oderah Chidom, Nicole Enabosi and Murjanatu Musa.

Sarah Ogoke, who is one of the most senior members of the team, returns with Victoria Macaulay to the team which is to be captained by Adaora Elonu.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2021 AfroBasket Women’s Championship will be the tournament’s 25th edition and will hold from Sept. 18 to Sept. 26 in Yaounde.

Nigeria are in Group B alongside Mozambique and Angola, with Group A having hosts Cameroon, Cape Verde and Kenya.

Group C has Senegal, Egypt and Guinea, while Mali, Cote d’Ivoire and Tunisia are in Group D.

NAN reports that the four group winners will advance to the quarter-finals, with the remaining eight teams playing for the remaining four quarter-final tickets.

The tournament’s top two teams will qualify for one of the qualifying tournaments for the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.

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