…laments NBBF neglect, owed allowances

D’Tigress players have threatened to boycott the 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup qualifiers if the Nigeria Basketball Federation continues to treat them poorly.

In a video posted on the team’s social media page on Tuesday, the players accused Caretaker Chairman of  the NBBF, Musa Ahmadu-Kida, of neglecting the team during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the 2021 Afrobasket – which they won.

The team also accused the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and the NBBF of withholding their bonuses and allowances, totalling $197,118, which included the $100,000 donated to them just before the Olympics.

Galatasaray center, Victoria Macaulay, who spoke first, said the NBBF had refused to host the team after winning the Afrobasket in 2019 and 2021.

“We want to say thank you to the Nigerian embassy in Cameroon for celebrating us, we appreciate you more than you know. Other than that, we do not feel appreciated or celebrated after achieving this historical feat.

“In 2017, we won the Afrobasket championship and three days later, we were presented to the father of the nation, his Excellency, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and his entire cabinet by the former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, as customary with a handshake. We have defended our championship and brought back the trophy in 2019 and in 2021 which is historical, but still, no invitation has been extended to the team to visit Aso Rock or a presidential handshake,” Macaulay said.

D’Tigress point guard Promise Amukamara added, “The president of the NBBF said the federation does not owe any player, official or volunteers, this is far from the truth. The last time we checked, our allowances, stipends, bonuses, training grants and donations made by banks for players, officials and volunteers have not been paid.”

Small forward Ify Ibekwe gave a breakdown of the money owed the team.

“We are owed $73,118 from the NBBF, $24,000 from the ministry of sports for the Tokyo grants and $100,000 from donations from three banks in Nigeria,” Ibekwe said in the video.

One of the team’s point guard Ezinne Kalu alleged that Ahamdu-Kida did not visit the team in camp or during competitions.

“Ever since our general manager and team manager resigned, we feel like we have been marginalised. The federation leadership like the former president never shows up for camps or competitions to boost our morale. When we have significant concerns and issues that need to be addressed, when he does show up, he gives vague answers as if our concerns aren’t important to him, but when we win, they magically show up for photo-ups and celebrations for political gains.

“Musa Ahmadu-Kida was not in Cameroon, but somehow, he showed up in Abuja to take pictures and lift the trophy again, for political gain,” she said.

Speaking on their experiences at the Olympics, center Oderah Chidom and power forward Atonye Nyingifa said the squad crashed out of the Tokyo Olympics in the group stage due distractions and lack of attention from officials.

Chidom said, “The Tokyo 2020 Olympics was full of a bunch of distractions for all of us, we did not know the final roster until a day before the flight, so our first team practice was in Tokyo days before the first game.”

Nyingifa also added, “There are a lot of things that could have been handled differently to increase our chances of success, starting with our travels most especially our flight, our team gear uniform, making sure they are of standard, two practices a day, not being able to access medical staff at some points during the Olympics as well as gift exchange between teams.”

Sarah Ogoke wondered why they never visited Nigeria before and after competitions.

“Why hasn’t the team gone to Nigeria since 2019? We are wondering the same thing. As players, we want to go back to Nigeria, we don’t understand why we have not been to the country for the past two years for camp or for any celebration.

“It is customary that the team goes home before major competitions so that we can have morale. It is also important so that we can inspire the next generation to follow their dreams.

“Every player that has been a D’Tigress since 2017 has their own thoughts and feelings over the dissolved NBBF board and coaching staff.

“Over the course of the time, it is evident that our voices have not been heard, our requests for little things have been ignored on top of not being celebrated or recognised as much as a three-time back-to-back-to-back Afrobasket champion deserves,” Ogoke said.

Team captain Adaora Elonu, who read the team’s demands, said if they were not met, none of the players would present themselves for international duties.

“Our demands: All money owed to players and officials, adequate travels to competitions, and a team manager for all teams. If these demands are not met with all due respect to the presidency of the NBBF and the ministry, all D’Tigress players will not be reporting to the FIFA  World Cup tournament in 2022 in February. We are one united voice,” Elonu said.

Other players, Aimy Okonkwo, Nicole Enaboli, Palias Kunaiyi-Akpannah, Evelyn Akhator , Elizabeth Williams , Ugo Nwaige, Cecelia Okoye, Uju Ugoka, Helen Ogunjimi, Dominique Wilson also gave their support to the team’s stand by echoing, “I stand.”

Senegal was the first team to advance to the final World Cup playoffs in Africa after Famara Diedhiou’s hat trick secured a 3-1 win over Namibia on Tuesday.

 Morocco followed about six hours later by beating Guinea 4-1 in what was a third game in seven days for both. Ayoub el-Kaabi netted the opener for Morocco for his fourth goal in three games.

 Sadio Mane provided the crosses for Diedhiou’s first and third goals at Orlando Stadium in South Africa and Senegal’s fourth win from four games ensured top spot in Group H with two games still to play.

 It earned Senegal a place in the decisive playoffs in March, which will decide Africa’s five teams at the World Cup in Qatar at the end of next year.

A short distance away in Johannesburg, South Africa beat Ethiopia 1-0 to give returning fans some cheer and keep Bafana Bafana ahead of Ghana in the race to progress from Group G.

Only the 10 group winners will make the playoffs. South Africa allowed 2,000 supporters to attend the game at FNB Stadium — though that looked like barely a handful in the 94,000-seater.

It was the first time spectators have been allowed at any major sports event in the country since the start of the pandemic. South Africa won thanks to Getane Kebedeh’s early own goal, as he sliced an attempted clearance into his own net.

Ghana is just a point behind South Africa after a second win over Zimbabwe in the space of four days. Thomas Partey’s 31st-minute free kick flew through the hands of goalkeeper Talbert Shumba, who then did use his hands to cover his face. Ghana won 1-0. That gave new coach Milovan Rajevac a second straight win to start his second spell in charge of Ghana. Rajevac was coach when Ghana made the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup, the last African team to go that far.

 The group is now between South Africa and Ghana — with Ethiopia and Zimbabwe out of contention — and they’ll meet in the final round of games next month. Morocco matched Senegal by going through with two games to spare in Group I.

The Moroccans and Guineans had to play one extra game this international window to make up for their fixture that was postponed last month because of the coup in Guinea. El-Kaabi showed no signs of fatigue to keep his hot streak in front of goal going.

Also on track for the playoffs, although not quite there, is African champion Algeria, which beat Niger 4-0 on Tuesday having defeated the same team 6-1 last week.

Algeria got an early wake-up call when Niger hit the post in the 10th minute. Riyad Mahrez put Algeria ahead by sweeping in a cross from Baghdad Bounedjah 10 minutes later and Mahrez returned the favor to set up Bounedjah for the fourth. In between, Aissa Mandi and Ismael Bennacer were also on target and Algeria put the game to bed with four goals in the space of 34 minutes — two before halftime and two straight after.

 Algeria has scored 19 goals in its four games but is level at the top of Group A with Burkina Faso. The teams each have three wins and drew 1-1 when they met last month, and will play what’s likely to be the group decider in Algeria next month.

If Algeria fails to go through it will be a major surprise. Tunisia, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Mali and Egypt all top their groups and are on course to progress. Tanzania, which has never been to the World Cup, narrowly leads Group J on goals scored ahead of Benin, which also has never been to soccer’s showpiece.