Despite their failure to qualify for the 2023 FIBA World Championship, Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers have maintained their top position in Africa with an increase of 2.2 percent.
The ranking released by FIBA has shown that D’Tigers who managed to win only two matches at the final window of the 2023 World Cup qualifying in Angola maintained the number one spot with a total of 461.4 points.
In addition, the former African champions are now ranked 19th in the world.
Closely on the heels of the 2015 FIBA AfroBasket champions are Tunisia with 448.6 points and Senegal in third position.
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In a chat with Daily Trust, the Head Coach of Kada Angels, Simpson Morrison, heaped praises on the men’s national team for their doggedness at the 2023 World Cup qualifying matches in Angola.
However, he opined that if national teams’ rankings were based on strength of their domestic leagues, D’Tigers wouldn’t have remained the number one team in Africa.
“I think D’Tigers tried. Considering that we don’t have a league yet they maintained their top position, it is down to the players’ performance in Angola.
“They have done well and we need to give them kudos for the ranking. But FIBA has its own way which may change any time. My plea to the NBBF is that there must be a viable and active home based league,” he said.
