Tomorrow, the spotlight shifts to Angola as Men’s AfroBasket 2025 kicks off and Nigeria’s D’Tigers are walking in with the swagger of a team chasing history.
Only a week ago, the nation celebrated as the D’Tigress lifted their fifth consecutive women’s AfroBasket crown. Now, the men’s side wants their own piece of that glory. They’ve made it clear: the mission is to bring the cup home.
The D’Tigers have been preparing for this tournament. In Abuja, the D’Tigers faced Guinea in a warm-up clash on August 7 and came away with a 78–73 win. This is sending a message that they’re ready for the battles ahead.
At the heart of this year’s Afrobasketball is Stan Okoye, the only active player left from Nigeria’s unforgettable 2015 AfroBasket title run. Ten years later, Okoye returns not just as a player, but as co-captain, bringing leadership and the weight of experience.
The team has also been bolstered by Olympians Caleb Agada and Ike Nwamu, who are already settled into Luanda, soaking in the atmosphere and eyeing their first group-stage test. With powerhouses like Tunisia and Cameroon in the mix, there will be no easy games, but that’s exactly how the D’Tigers like it.
Nigeria has tasted AfroBasket glory before. The question now is whether this group can roar as loudly as the queens who just conquered the continent.