Pius Ayinor
Nigeria’s women’s basketball team D’Tigress left Abuja for Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire by a 9am flight on Wednesday as they begin the defense of the African title they retained two years ago in Rwanda.
The final team roster was released just as they boarded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja.
The Nigeria Basketball Federation had indicated the African champions would depart Abuja on Wednesday. Still as of Tuesday night the players had not been told categorically which airline they would use or flight time, even after their visit to the National Sports Commission that handled their ticketing. An early morning call confirmed the availability of seats and they had to leave immediately.
“I was preparing to arrange things for their Wednesday morning training when I got a call to stop as they were heading to the airport already. By Tuesday night they were already looking at possibly Thursday,” an NBBF technical hand based in the Federal Capital Territory told Extrasportnigeria.
D’Tigress left Nigeria with high optimism to retain the trophy they have held tightly to since 2017. The victory in Kigali two years ago was the fourth-straight win (4-peat) as they go for the fifth-straight (5-peat) win of the African cup. In overall they have won the Afrobasket six times starting with the first title in 2003 in Mozambique and the successful defense of it in 2005 in Abuja.
There are just a few changes made to the roster by Coach Rena Wakama from the team that featured at the last Olympics. Sarah Ogoke who was away for family reasons, has returned to the team.
Final roster
Promise Amukamara
Ezinne Kalu
Elizabeth Balogun
Amy Okonkwo
Nicole Enabosi
Pallas Kumayi
Victoria Macaulay
Vera Ojenuwa
Blessing Ejiofor
Ifunaya Okoro
Sarah Ogoke
Murjanatu Musa
Extrasportnigeria 
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