Head Coach of the Senior Women’s Basketball team, D’Tigress, Otis Hughley, has named 12 players for the 2020 pre Olympics qualifiers coming up in Mozambique between Nov. 14 and Nov.17.
Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF)’s spokesman, Afolabi Oni, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.
Giving a break down of the call up, he said the coach had recalled U.S based Upe Atosu, whose last game for Nigeria was at the 2017 Afrobasket final win over Senegal.
2019 Afrobasket Most Valuable Player Ezinne Kalu, Promise Anumakara, Atonye Nyingifa, Sarah Imovbioh and Evelyn Akhator have also been included in the 12-man list alongside team captain, Adaora Elonu.
Others include multiple Afrobasket winner Aisha Balarabe, Ify Ibekwe whose first international debut was at the 2019 Afrobasket in Senegal as well as Victoria Macaulay.
Elizabeth Balogun, who was named in the 2019 Atlantic Coast Conference Fresh Man Team while with Georgia Tech University, is also in line to earn her first international cap alongside Pallas Kunnayi-Akpannah who narrowly missed the 2019 Afrobasket party.
Nigeria are grouped alongside host, Mozambique and DR Congo in Group A while Senegal will compete against Angola and Mali in Group B.
The team will open camp on Nov. 10 in Maputo.
According to FIBA, the two group winners will join 14 other teams from Europe, Asia and the Americas to fight for the 10 Olympic slots on offer at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. (NAN)
