By Joe Apu
AfroBasket men defending champions Nigeria arrived Tunis last night to a rousing welcome by the Nigerian Embassy officials led by the Administrative Attachee Yusuf Remawa as well as Nigerians resident in the country.
Also at the airport last night is President of FIBA Africa Zone 3 and member of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Col. Sam Ahmedu (Retd) who is attending a technical course in Tunis ahead of the AfroBasket 2017.
However, Washington Wizards centre Daniel Ochefu says he is hopeful and aiming for the trophy as Nigeria begins the campaign to retain the African Cup they won in Tunisia two years ago.
D’ Tigers will start their campaign in the African championship with preliminary games against DR Congo, Mali and Cote d’Ivoire for the competition taking the tip off on Friday. The championship is being hosted jointly for the first time by Senegal and Tunisia.
He said, “We’ll keep the same kind of mentality they (D’ Tigers 2015 squad) had when they won the championship in 2015; that’s the way to go.”
The Nigerian team is entering the championship with a lot of players who have never played at the Nations Cup level previously. And this includes Ochefu who is making his debut but he believes that should not count.
“My profession is to play basketball; I’m in shape and ready to go.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s my first time or not; we are going to play basketball over there and that I am very ready to do. Nigeria will be the team everyone wants work hard against for obvious reasons. The men won it the last time and the ladies just the whole of Africa again.
“Yes, I don’t know much about the system here but I know basketball very well. I can rebound, I can defend and I can score and that is what I am going there to do.”
Nigeria will play the first match on Friday against Congo.