Joe Apu

The Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF has lined up two international friendly matches for D’ Tigress in an effort to ensure the team’s readiness for the Group A of the Women Olympic Qualifying Tournament billed for February 6-10 in Serbia.

The friendly games will be against two club sides in the Bulgarian league and is been put together on behalf of the NBBF by a former Nigerian national basketball Coach, Vladislav Lucic Lale.

According to the NBBF, Vice President, Babs Oguade who spoke with the Serbian coach in the presence of our correspondent, Coach Lale, who worked in Nigeria in the early 1970’s is keen to give Nigeria all the assistance he can to ensure that Nigeria has a good run at the tournament.

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Ogunade on his part while looking ahead to the tournament in Belgrade pointed out that Nigerians should not take Serbia, Mozambique and world champions USA for granted.

According to him, the friendly games were arranged because the qualifying tournament “won’t be a walk in the park for D’Tigress.” “Those who think that our opening game against Mozambique will be a walkover must remember that FIBA Africa President is from Mozambique and his girls will come out fighting with everything they have got.

“Serbia on the hand as host country also wants to qualify and our game against Mozambique will afford Serbia the opportunity of studying the Nigerian team. We therefore, have to prepare very well. We have to win our first game before playing Serbia in our second game.

Ogunade, believes that the Nigerian girls are up to the task.  “The good thing is that the players are coming from their clubs where they play regularly.”