Nigeria’s U-18 basketball team, the Junior Tigers, has secured visas to honor their opening match against Egypt, scheduled for Wednesday, September 4, at the AfroBasket U-18 Men’s tournament in South Africa.
According to a press release by the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), the team was initially denied visas on Monday, September 2, prompting the federation to seek intervention from FIBA Africa.
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“The Nigeria Basketball Federation has raised concerns over the refusal of the South African Consulate in Abuja to grant visas to Nigeria’s U-18 male basketball team, J’Tigers, who are expected to participate in the qualifying tournament taking place in South Africa to determine Africa’s representatives for the FIBA U-18 World Cup,” the statement reads.
The team, led by the head of delegation Ugo Udueze, will intensify efforts to prepare for their opening match against Egypt tomorrow.
The Nigerian boys are drawn alongside the U-18 teams of Egypt and Angola, while the girls will face Egypt, Zimbabwe, and Uganda in Group C.
