19th AWC: Lady Tigers camp swells to 16

The camp of the Nigerian Lady Tigers has expanded just as the opening day of the 2005 FIBA Africa Championship for women draws closer.

Going by the census at the Lady Tigers camp in Abuja, Mactaben Amachree will become the 16th player in camp when she joins, Monday the December 12, 2005.

Four more players have joined the 12 in camp. Mfon Udoka, who has been named captain of the team joined the camp from the USA last Thursday and resumed training the following morning.

Mary Atiasi, who will be featuring for the team for the very first time, was expected to arrive Monday night from the USA.

She links up another new player, Mercy Okorie who is expected to joine the team by the weekend. Mary missed her weekend flight while Okorie is making a return, having trained with the team last month before returning to her club to tie down contract for next season. Ugo Oha, who was at the Greece 2004 Olympics, will join the team has joined the team from the USA in accordance with arrangements by the technical crew and the committee.

The Lady Tigers went into camp, October. The championship begins in Abuja next Wednesday. The Nigerian ladies are not just playing as hosts, but also as defending champions having beaten Mozambique 69-63 to win the final in Maputo in 2003. The players have Scott Nnaji as coach while he is assisted with Aderemi Adewunmi, Lati Folami and Sola Ogunade.

“Everything is well and the players are quite in high spirits. They played the Abuja Ladies on Sunday and did so well,” Adamu Ahmed the NBBF Technical Director said.

Nigeria, Senegal, Cape Verde, Mali, Tunisia and Liberia are in Group A while the other group has Mozambique, Angola, Congo DR, Niger, Gabon and Togo who replaced Algeria.