FIBA AFROBASKET: WE ARE FIRED UP FOR SENEGAL GAME- IKE DIOGU

Ahead of the quarter-final clash tonight between D’Tigers of Nigeria and Senegal at the ongoing 2013 FIBA Afrobasket championship in Ivory Coast, Vice-captain of the team Ike Diogu has exclusively revealed to us that the team is fired up for tonight’s game.

“We are ready, the team is ready and we have played pretty well in the first 4 games in this tournament but tonight will be another challenge just like the Cameroon game but the team is in a very high spirit right now”

D’Tigers dismissed the Central Africa Republic last night 112-75 with Stanley Okoye raking in 29 points.

Diogu maintained that the tournament has been tough for his teammates especially with the number of players down with injuries.

“It’s been tough because the first 2 days of the tournament saw 2 players go down and just before the start of the championship we also had a player ruled out ineligible so it’s been tough but the guys have rallied around each other and like people saw last night, younger players in the squad stepping up their game and playing really well”

Diogu, an NBA veteran but now plies his trade in Puerto Rico with Leones de Ponce talked about the threat the Senegalese team will pose tonight but maintained that the team is up to the task.

“Well, they have some guys who have played in the NBA, some played college basketball and I can say that we are pretty familiar with the team and familiar with their strength and physical nature but we just have to go out there and play Nigeria’s brand of Basketball”

The team has done well under veteran coach Ayo Bakare who is aiming at winning the championship for Nigeria for the first time and Diogu revealed that the coach does a great work in knowing the team’s strength and weaknesses.

“The coach has done a good work in knowing our areas of strength and I have been playing under him for 2 years now, so I know what he wants out there on the court and what he also expects from me but one thing I like about him is that he doesn’t try to pigeon-hole us into some certain roles, he just allows us to play our different kind of games and I think that is why so many players have flourished under Ayo Bakare”

Diogu reckoned that player another game tonight just 24hours after they played CAR isn’t going to affect the players stating that such demands comes with being a professional and most importantly, playing for fatherland.