×
31 August, 2019
15 September
6 Ike Diogu (NGR)
25/03/2019
News
to read

''All teams pose threat to Nigeria but we'll do our best'' - Diogu

SICHUAN (China) - The frenzy over the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 draw held in China is far from being over as reactions continue to pour in from around the world.

And, for Nigeria captain Ike Diogu, every team in Group B is a threat.

While not giving in to Russia, Argentina and Korea, Diogu told FIBA.basketball that no team will be taken for granted.

"We feel very good with our draw. In order to get respect worldwide, the road we must travel through is Europe meaning we have to play the best European teams to get the respect Africa deserves," Diogu explained.

"ALL THESE TEAMS ARE A THREAT. WE CAN’T TAKE ANY OF THEM LIGHTLY BECAUSE THEY ALL HAVE THE ABILITY TO BEAT US. ARGENTINA IS ONE OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD AS IS RUSSIA. SO WE HAVE A VERY TOUGH TASK IN FRONT OF US."- Diogu

The 2.03m (6ft8in) power forward has been a dominant force for Nigeria, scoring in double-figures in all but 2 games.

He quite literally threw his weight around as the D'Tigers topped Group F with 10 wins in 12 games.

"All these teams are a threat. We can’t take any of them lightly because they all have the ability to beat us. Argentina is one of the best in the world as is Russia so we have a very tough task in front of us," he said.

Diogu's Nigeria has faced Argentina twice before (at Olympics 2012 and 2016)  

A two-time Olympian, Diogu has been a key member for the D'Tigers in recent years. 

Speaking on the World Cup, the amiable shooter with 186 points from 12 Games said: "It's the biggest stage for me. I’ve never played in the World Cup so I’m extremely excited to be apart of this and the guys want to make sure we do something special that the continent has not seen."

FIBA