Afrobasket Qualifiers: Nigerian coach, Brown releases D’Tigers list including Festus Ezeli

D’Tigers new coach Mike Brown has released a 20-man provisional list for the 2021 Afrobasket qualifiers slated for Kigali, Rwanda between 27th and 29th, November.

Brown who will officially start his work with Nigeria submitted a list featuring 7 players from the 2019 FIBA World Cup where Nigeria qualified for the Olympics in Tokyo.

Captain, Ike Diogu will lead the squad which includes 29 year old Stan Okoye (Gran Canaria), Ben Uzoh, Ike Iroegbu, Talib Zanna, Ekpe Udoh and Michael Eric.

The 2015 NBA winner with Golden State Warriors, Festus Ezeli will be on the flight to Rwanda for a chance to represent Nigeria for the first time ever alongside a member of the 2015 Afrobasket winning team, Mike Gbinije.

After missing the final 12 man team to the world cup, France based Ike Nwamu will make another return to the team alongside Tonye Jekiri, Christopher Obekpa, Braxton Ogbueze, Mike Efevberha, Obinna Emegano who at some point featured during the team’s 2019 qualifiers series.

Chima Moneke who has averaged 12.3pts and 5.8rebs in 4 games for Orléan in the French league has also been called up for the first time alongside Zaid Christopher Hearst-Okpalannaka who plies his trade in the second tier of the French league.

Other new faces who will hope to earn their first cap include Real Betis power forward, Obi Enechionyia alongside Ogbunu John and Rasheed Sulaimon who play for Casademont Zaragoza

Full List

1. Stan Okoye – Small Forward – Club Baloncesto Gran Canaria (Spain)

2.  Ikechukwu Nwamu – Shooting Guard – Cholet (France)

3.  Ike Iroegbu – Point Guard – Capital City Go-Go (NBA G League, USA)

4. Talib Zanna – Centre – Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C (Israel)

5. Chima Moneke – Power Forward – Orléans Loiret Basket (France)

6. Obinna Enechionyia – Power Forward – Real Betis (Spain)

7. Micheal Gbinije – Shooting Guard – BC Nevėžis (Lithuania)

8. Obi Emegano – Shooting Guard – Baloncesto Fuenlabrada (Spain)

9. Mike Efevberha – Shooting Guard – JA Vichy-Clermont Métropole (France)

10. Michael Eric – Centre – Turk Telekom Basketball (Turkey)

11. Tonye Jekiri – Centre – Club Deportivo Saski-Baskonia (Spain)

12. Rasheed Sulaimon – Shooting Guard – Casademont Zaragoza (Spain)

13. Zaid Hearst-Okpalannaka – Shooting Guard – Antibas (France)

14. Ekpe Udoh – Centre

15. Ben Uzoh – Point Guard

16. Christopher Obekpa – Centre

17. Ike Diogu – Centre

18. Braxton Ogbuezue – Guard

19. Festus Ezeli – Centre

20.  John Ogbunu