Coach Samson urges D’Tigers to avoid ‘sharp-sharp’ planning for AfroBasket 2025

• Coach Samson John has urged the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) ‘D’Tigers’ to begin early preparations to avoid last-minute planning
• D’Tigers sealed qualification with a dominant 77-62 win over Cape Verde, completing the qualifiers with a perfect record
• The 2025 AfroBasket tournament will be held from August 12 to 24 in Angola, where Nigeria will chase their second title

With Nigeria securing their spot at the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket Championship in Angola, Gombe Bulls’ coach Samson John has issued a strong call for early preparations, urging the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) to avoid the last-minute approach that has often plagued the country’s sports teams.

Following D’Tigers’ qualification, John made it clear that the journey was far from over, warning that delays in preparation could hinder Nigeria’s chances of reclaiming their place among Africa’s basketball elite. 

The coach criticised the tendency for late preparations, urging the federation to act swiftly in assembling the best possible squad,

“We’ve already qualified, and now what next? Everything in Nigeria is not on time. It’s always late and sharp-sharp. But this is a major competition, and everyone in the federation should think about how to make early preparations,” John remarked.

Nigeria’s last AfroBasket campaign in 2021 was underwhelming, a far cry from their historic 2015 triumph when they claimed their first and only African title. John stressed that returning to championship-winning form would require meticulous planning, better team selection, and early training camps.

“I also expect that we should change one or two players in the team as we are moving forward,” he added, hinting at the need for fresh talent in the squad.

D’Tigers sealed their AfroBasket qualification in style, finishing the second qualifying window with a perfect record. 

Their campaign concluded with a dominant 77-62 victory over Cape Verde, following previous wins against Libya (75-70) and Uganda (87-67). The result was a significant turnaround for Nigeria, who had struggled in the first phase of qualifiers last year, losing all three matches before a miraculous redemption mission in Libya.

A key player in Nigeria’s qualification run was Caleb Agada, who led the charge with 20 points, seven assists, and three steals against Uganda, along with a double-double performance of 14 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Libya.

The 2025 AfroBasket Championship is set to take place from August 12 to 24 across the Angolan cities of Luanda, Benguela, and Namibe. 

Nigeria, a giant in African basketball, will aim for a second title, having collected one gold, four silver, and three bronze medals in past editions.

Paris Olympics 2024: Wakama of Nigerian D’Tigress named best female basketball coach at tournament

Previously, TheRadar reported that Rena Wakama made a historic impact at the Paris 2024 Olympics by leading Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, to an unprecedented quarter-finals appearance.

This achievement represented the first time any African team, male or female, has reached this stage in Olympic basketball history.