Rio 2016: Nigeria’s D’Tigers Take on Argentina in Friendly

Rio 2016: Nigeria’s D’Tigers Take on Argentina in Friendly

The senior basketball team, D’Tigers, will today take on Argentina in Las Vegas as part of preparations for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

This is coming right after the 4-Nation Stankovic Cup tournament in China where the William Voigts tutored team placed third behind France and Argentina also in preparation for the Games, Vanguard writes.

Argentina, coached by Sergio Hernandez, beat Nigeria 71-49 at the Stankovic Cup early this month, and have already named a star-studded 14-man team that includes four 2004 Olympic gold medallists Luis Scola, Andres Nocioni, Manu Ginobili and Carlos Delfino for the friendly games.

Incidentally, both sides have been drawn in the same group for the Olympic Games basketball event alongside Croatia, Spain, Lithuania and hosts, Brazil. They will no doubt see this as a great opportunity to try out the strategies they have been planning towards the showdown in Rio which kicks off August.

Nigeria’s D’Tigers last friendly game will be in Houston against the United States’ team on August 1 in what the Americans have dubbed the USA Basketball Showcase, after which they’ll depart for Rio.

Nigeria, who are the reigning African champions, will play their first game against Argentina on August 7 and they have to finish among the top four to advance to the Quarter-Finals.
Voigts and the lads will be looking for a first ever medal at the Games in what is their second appearance.