Nigeria women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress, will play two warm-up games against Turkey and Argentina in preparation for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament scheduled for Nantes, France between June 13 and 17.
The two-time African champions finished third at the AfroBasket Women 2015, and as a result, have to go through a series of qualifiers to book a place in Rio.
Their male counterpart, D’Tigers, qualified automatically for the Olympics after emerging champions of the male version.
Coach Scott Nnaji’s team are set to resume camping on May 7 in Abuja before they square off against Turkey in Istanbul three weeks later – then Argentina in June.
The Nigerians are drawn in Group C alongside Belarus and Korea. They must produce one win in the first stage and then two more in the second to stand any chance of scaling through.
Nigeria last featured at the Olympics in 2004 and Nnaji calls the preparation games against Turkey and Argentina – two WOQT contenders – “highly important” to measure up the team’s potential.
“We expect the players to come to camp ready to meet up with the challenge ahead,” the tactician told FIBA.
Nnaji is expected to reveal the preliminary squad in early May, and he admits to making changes from the team that went 6-2 at AfroBasket Women last October in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
“We have a list [of players] that have shown interest to be part of the team, and we hope they will make it to the camp.”
Five teams will advance to the Olympics in Rio. D’Tigress begin their campaign against Belarus on June 13.
