Nigeria V Tunisia

[wanaj0]

Na wa for Naija fans ooooo. I salute those representing us in any capacity!

For those that do not know, Tunisia are the AFRICAN champion. Not sure why we think we will just run over them?

Someone even said he does not know where the hype is coming from? Was it only Greece we defeated?

Many internet coaches surfacing as usual. Please take up the coaching job for the next tournament. We can surely make use of your knowledge. Don't let it waste on the internet.

To the team,

To London bobos

Playing in your backyard yet una no fit carry occupy London go there lol

Not sure who expected us to run over Tunisia but I'm sure most basketball fans on here just wanted a stable performance and something that showed improvement from our games in the summer. Yes we won the games needed to qualify for the olympics but if one thought our performances were great or excellent then one needs to check his/her head.

We have a better squad than Tunisia. With that team that is representing us in the Olympics or with the other quality players we have that aren't in the team currently. When players play smart and good coaching is there, great things happen.

Sorry if some of us (actually Coach Bakare said as much during one of the timeouts) felt this game was a MUST-WIN and let our emotions get loose. We realize we'd like to win a game in the tourney and the Tunisia one(Champions of Africa regardless) was the one we had to win. The other games are now just bonuses.

I'm also pretty sure everyone that let his/her emotions loose during the game is thrilled to bits that we won. We give credit to the players and the coaches but know they have a crapload more work to do and get better at if they want to stand a chance against our other Group A opponents.

Let's go D'TIGERS!

Maybe we have a better squad but do we have a better team? Building a team is a process that takes time and effort.

Yes it is a MUST WIN game. However we need to show respect to the opponent. Even the coach said as much. Hevsaid we are the underdog because we are playing against African Champions. So we should expect a tight and competitive game.

Can we do better? Of course! There is always room for improvement.

I know we all invested a lot (at least emotionally) following sports. Looking through some of the comments you will actually think that Tunisia won! We defeated the African Champions and all you see is negativity! Wanting coach to be sacked, players dropped even before the tournament is over! Some are even focusing on those not representing us instead of encouraging those sweating it out there. Some who most likely have never stepped on the court even questioning the competency of the coach! If only they knew how long he has come with NBBF!

[pajimoh]

Well done player. It must have been an experience, a nerve wrecking one as well after watching the Tunisians gradually eroding the our lead?

It#s now history - Nigeria the first African country to win a basketball game at the Olympics. Take that to the bank Angola, we don't need to be there 100 times - once is enough

Bolded is not true.

sorry bro my bad. I thought I hear on BBC radio that Africa will be winning first Olympic basket ball game because both teams are from Africa. I guess they meant at this Olympics

[F360]

Okay first off, today was just one crazy day mennn !!! una see that guy wey wear black, thats my lil cousin, he's 6'7 and up and coming basketball player, after begging me to get him a ticket, believe the dude did not wake up and we had to leave without him. Up next is that my foolish home-boy Tony in the White, I don already tell Tony say the basketball game is at Stratford, now tell my why Tony drove us all the way to North Greenwich to go and watch the game, thinking it was at the O2 arena, we got searched even had time to look for some food to eat, then my lil Cousin who finally woke up called me and said that the game is not at O2 arena, but at Stratford, I asked the stewards, and they confirmed this, so we now had to leave the car and take the train 4 stops to Stratford, got there exactly at 9am and the game had already started, we had to run another 20mins just to find the arena where we met up with my lil Cousin.

Entered the game in the 2nd quarter, and the feeling was just great, we had the best sits, just right behind the Naija bench, so we could see and hear everything that's going on. I didn't even have time to concentrate on the game, all I know is that our shooting everywhere was poor. We tried to run plays on offence, but guys weren't establishing their position enough to get the ball in the right place. On defense, our interior defense was very good, rebounding, blocking shots, it was very hard for the Tunisians to come inside, but our exterior defense was poor, guys were not rotating quickly enough and they were getting lost under the screens. Tunisia's outside shooting kept them in the game and this was a problem I highlighted from the team few weeks back. To be honest we did not play that bad, Tunisia are the African Champions, but this Naija squad is talented and with more time, we will get better trust me.....

Ike Diogu is a beast, this guy was getting rebounds and bullying anyone that was on him, sometimes he had three players on him but still managed to be in control, wow !!!! Dagunduro is clutch, he does things at the right time and plays with an experience head, his drives at the end of the game was amazing to watch. Al Farouq Aminu is a great defender and driver of the ball, but he needs to work on his jump shot badly. Tony Skinn started well, but then he let the game get to him, in future he needs to keep calm in tight situations. Ayo Bakare was in control though, I think there is a lot of pressure on him due to the fact that the team has not been together for while. Very good game and we got the win that matters.

In regards to the crowd, I think the organizers should have done a better job, first of all not a lot of Nigerians in the crowd, and the few that were there were spread out around the court. I saw the Australia Brazil game as well, and to be honest those guys will feast on us right now, those guys are massive !!!!! and they play more organised...We are not far off though, with a few additions and more time together we can be top 5 in the world no question.

After the game we walked around, so many people thought we were Olympians maybe cos of the fact that we are all 6'2 and above, we took pictures and it was all fun, we then bumped into Ike Diogu and Chamberlain Oguchi, real cool guys but kinda quiet, had that athlete thing about them, so we didnt ask too much questions. Then later on bumped into Anderson Varejao, I called him Tiago Splitter at first because he had his hat on so I Couldnt see his hair, I later recognised him then I corrected myself and we luaghed about it.

Crazy day I tell ya !!!!!! Its good to by Nigerian men !!!!!! we just needed more supporters, funny thing that happened was on our way out, one of the Stewards who was Nigerian asked us the score, I told him and he shouted "ehen God Punish them, all of them dey crase" referring to the Tunisians, we just laughed thinking that is just the Naija way !!!!! we do things on a different level.

Correct guy with correct match report.
Cheers Player.

The rotation problem on defense has been an issue all along. We will get punished even more for it going forward.
Excellent analysis on all our guys bro.
Re. Ike. It boggles the mind how beastly the guy is and can be. If he gets position in the post, it shouldn't even be a second thought as to getting him the ball down there to work. If he steps out to set a pick or a screen then it should be elementary, you make that drive and get Ike the ball for a look. I just think Ike is our #1 option and we go away from him sometimes a bit too much. Obviously other teams know/will know he is our #1 option but sometimes you just gotta say screw this, I'm getting Ike the ball.
Dags is clutch, Al-Farouq's one on one defending is great(just needs to not lose his man while the ball is passed around and he needs to rotate-but that goes for all of them).

Like you said bro, with more time , we will get better. I have high hopes for the next African and World Championships.
Bakare and the boys will take this Olympics experience and rise even higher.

[F360]

Na wa for Naija fans ooooo. I salute those representing us in any capacity!

For those that do not know, Tunisia are the AFRICAN champion. Not sure why we think we will just run over them?

Someone even said he does not know where the hype is coming from? Was it only Greece we defeated?

Many internet coaches surfacing as usual. Please take up the coaching job for the next tournament. We can surely make use of your knowledge. Don't let it waste on the internet.

To the team,

To London bobos

Playing in your backyard yet una no fit carry occupy London go there lol

Not sure who expected us to run over Tunisia but I'm sure most basketball fans on here just wanted a stable performance and something that showed improvement from our games in the summer. Yes we won the games needed to qualify for the olympics but if one thought our performances were great or excellent then one needs to check his/her head.

We have a better squad than Tunisia. With that team that is representing us in the Olympics or with the other quality players we have that aren't in the team currently. When players play smart and good coaching is there, great things happen.

Sorry if some of us (actually Coach Bakare said as much during one of the timeouts) felt this game was a MUST-WIN and let our emotions get loose. We realize we'd like to win a game in the tourney and the Tunisia one(Champions of Africa regardless) was the one we had to win. The other games are now just bonuses.

I'm also pretty sure everyone that let his/her emotions loose during the game is thrilled to bits that we won. We give credit to the players and the coaches but know they have a crapload more work to do and get better at if they want to stand a chance against our other Group A opponents.

Let's go D'TIGERS!

Maybe we have a better squad but do we have a better team? Building a team is a process that takes time and effort.

Yes it is a MUST WIN game. However we need to show respect to the opponent. Even the coach said as much. Hevsaid we are the underdog because we are playing against African Champions. So we should expect a tight and competitive game.

Can we do better? Of course! There is always room for improvement.

I know we all invested a lot (at least emotionally) following sports. Looking through some of the comments you will actually think that Tunisia won! We defeated the African Champions and all you see is negativity! Wanting coach to be sacked, players dropped even before the tournament is over! Some are even focusing on those not representing us instead of encouraging those sweating it out there. Some who most likely have never stepped on the court even questioning the competency of the coach! If only they knew how long he has come with NBBF!

I actually think we have a team that's just as good. That in itself is surprising given the short time they've been together but the team spirit and teamwork with this bunch is great imo. They just need to tighten up in some aspects.

With regards to negative comments, I'm sure everyone on here is thrilled/happy we won but why should that stop them from taking issue with some of the weak points in our game vs Tunisia? Now some are going a little overboard-(Wanting the coach to be sacked or players to be dropped. That's just silly talk and I wouldn't even pay attention to that if I were you) but for the most part it shouldn't be a problem or an issue to discuss what we need to get better at, as we move forward to the rest of our games.


D'Tigers!

[Player]

@F360, there were a couple of times, that Ike had his defender one on one in the post and Tony Skinn did not even try to give it to him. Whenever Ike did get the ball, trust me dude was virtually unguardable, even three guys could not stop him, his timing on the rebounds and strength and control with the ball is NBA caliber. Alade Aminu also impressed me with his athleticism and finishing, he will need to develop some post moves though as it was limiting his game offensively.

[Cristao]

Abeg those expecting nigeria to play like the USA should go Siddons for gutter. This is their first time. Haba give them peace.

[COOKING SPOON]

As far as I am concerned we played very well, bear in mind that Tunisia are african champions and won the competition with an average of 24 points and they massacred Angola who we all know is the greatest team in Africa. don't forget that at times we made them lookalike schoolboys. They fought back not because we were poor, but because they are a damn good team, they whipped England silly in a friendly before the competition and the England team is good.

Let's give credit where credit is due, we have a bloody good team, and they have already proven themselves by beating Greece and Lithuania two top five rated teams in the world.

Dagunduro impressed me so much, so athletic and clearly experienced, Diogu is bloody dominant, the Aminu brothers are so good.

Let's support our boys.

[F360]

@F360, there were a couple of times, that Ike had his defender one on one in the post and Tony Skinn did not even try to give it to him. Whenever Ike did get the ball, trust me dude was virtually unguardable, even three guys could not stop him, his timing on the rebounds and strength and control with the ball is NBA caliber. Alade Aminu also impressed me with his athleticism and finishing, he will need to develop some post moves though as it was limiting his game offensively.

Great point on Alade. I totally agree. His ability to finish around the basket is better than I thought.
On to the next one though.

Were you able to get tix to any other games?

[Player]

@F360, there were a couple of times, that Ike had his defender one on one in the post and Tony Skinn did not even try to give it to him. Whenever Ike did get the ball, trust me dude was virtually unguardable, even three guys could not stop him, his timing on the rebounds and strength and control with the ball is NBA caliber. Alade Aminu also impressed me with his athleticism and finishing, he will need to develop some post moves though as it was limiting his game offensively.

Great point on Alade. I totally agree. His ability to finish around the basket is better than I thought.
On to the next one though.

Were you able to get tix to any other games?

Nope, been trying all week to get tickets but no luck, the thing is that there are going to be a lot of empty sits again, the Olympic organisers just messed up on the whole ticket allocation thing....Lithuania got hamered by Argentina and I know they will want to come at us hard...

[wanaj0]

@F360, there were a couple of times, that Ike had his defender one on one in the post and Tony Skinn did not even try to give it to him. Whenever Ike did get the ball, trust me dude was virtually unguardable, even three guys could not stop him, his timing on the rebounds and strength and control with the ball is NBA caliber. Alade Aminu also impressed me with his athleticism and finishing, he will need to develop some post moves though as it was limiting his game offensively.

Great point on Alade. I totally agree. His ability to finish around the basket is better than I thought.
On to the next one though.

Were you able to get tix to any other games?

Nope, been trying all week to get tickets but no luck, the thing is that there are going to be a lot of empty sits again, the Olympic organisers just messed up on the whole ticket allocation thing....Lithuania got hamered by Argentina and I know they will want to come at us hard...

Thank God FIFA did not allow them to host the WC. That's how they would have made a total mess of it.

BTW, who saw the 'aro' lady that joined the Indian march past. She was not even properly attired. How did she got in?

[Ekorian]

I don miss ooo. I just got back from a trip this AM. Please where can I watch our game against Tunisia. bikoooooo

[Bigpokey24]

I don miss ooo. I just got back from a trip this AM. Please where can I watch our game against Tunisia. bikoooooo

go nbcolympics.com click basketball and watch replay at the end of the game you would see player doing one dance move, my brother kept laughing at players slow motion dance move.. up player , correct boy .. :thumbs:player don turn celebrity over night

[Ekorian]

I don miss ooo. I just got back from a trip this AM. Please where can I watch our game against Tunisia. bikoooooo

go nbcolympics.com click basketball and watch replay at the end of the game you would see player doing one dance move, my brother kept laughing at players slow motion dance move.. up player , correct boy .. :thumbs:player don turn celebrity over night

[Ugbowo]

@Player,

I beg nack us more gist about the Naija bench and the guy behind you. Nice write up too!

[juventuss]

Player, we suppose make you official CE don of basketball. Good repping. Well done.

[Player]

Oboy Naija coach na real naija coach o, I swear one time i thought I heard him shout in Yoruba to the players , he was almost going mad, one time he called a time-out and he just said "we must not lose this game, we must not lose this game" he did not even draw any plan, im just give them sound warning like that. I like the guy, the team really respects him and he knows what he is doing. Players that got a dress down from him were Tony Skinn and Derrick Obasohan, one time im just shout untop Obasohan make im commot for court, Obasohan no fit talk

And that black guy behind us in the pink or is it red is some real ignorant guy, first off when he heard that we were Nigerians, he came to us telling us that he will get us on tv, he then asked us one dumb question, im talk say how do you say "Lets go Nigeria in Nigerian" as he wanted us to say it during half time, all of us just looked confused, na im I come talk so there are different languages in Nigeria unless you want us to say it it pidgin, im come talk say okay yes say it in pidgin. Before half time, he was listening to the way we spoke, he now asked us where we were from, we said South London, na so the guy energy just change, I think he radioed one of his producers, then he came back to us saying, oh I know how you South london boys act, please dont swear on tv, you will get kicked out bla bla bla. I talk say okay we werent going to swear anyways, anyways sha na so camera come flash untop us during half time, the guy come start the interview. Us thinking he will ask us the question, the guy just fashi us, he was doing all the talking, we didnt even get to say anything, and that was it, baring in mind that everyone else he spoke to, he let the talk, Brazzilians, Australians all of them. Anyways It was not a big deal, it was just funny how he changed his attitude after we told him we were from South London, I mean two of us are graduates and are working full time, the other one just finished College, is working part time teaching mathematics and is going to University, dude just pissed me off for real.

@Bigpokey abeg NBC no allow UK people watch am, you fit post am or something

[furiously frank]

F360

Like you said bro, with more time , we will get better. I have high hopes for the next African and World Championships.
Bakare and the boys will take this Olympics experience and rise even higher

Are these tournaments in the middle of the NBA season? If yes then count us out it. That to me is our bain in Africa. The same reason why our men's soccer team is not in it. Our good athletes only thrive when they turned pro abroad.

[Tbite]

Only Al Farouq plays in the NBA right now

and 3 of these guys did play in the last Championships and of course in the past we have guys like Ime Udoka.

So ....no the African Championships shouldn't be a problem.....even the team that did play in the Concluded African Championships was good enough to win it, they just had to be better coordinated.

Like Player said...Nigeria is on the up. It really doesn't matter what happens in London, we are going up from now on.

We just hope that we can make it to the next round and see what happens. We are outdoing ourselves....but that is what everyone in the Olympics should be doing.

That is why the likes of Wannaj0 are yarning Opaks. You don't go the Olympics to say, you did what your ranking suggests. You go the Olympics to do everything that you can possibly do plus extra and if you fail...you fail. Olympics is not mathematics. If we did what the likes of Wanaj0 are suggesting and just stay in our zone and not expect anything, we wouldn't have qualified in the first place, how do they think we qualified for the Olympics? By beating Togo?

Let us take the game to Lithuania..

[Player]

F360

Like you said bro, with more time , we will get better. I have high hopes for the next African and World Championships.
Bakare and the boys will take this Olympics experience and rise even higher

Are these tournaments in the middle of the NBA season? If yes then count us out it. That to me is our bain in Africa. The same reason why our men's soccer team is not in it. Our good athletes only thrive when they turned pro abroad.

Its not in the middle of the season.

[Bigpokey24]

Oboy Naija coach na real naija coach o, I swear one time i thought I heard him shout in Yoruba to the players , he was almost going mad, one time he called a time-out and he just said "we must not lose this game, we must not lose this game" he did not even draw any plan, im just give them sound warning like that. I like the guy, the team really respects him and he knows what he is doing. Players that got a dress down from him were Tony Skinn and Derrick Obasohan, one time im just shout untop Obasohan make im commot for court, Obasohan no fit talk

And that black guy behind us in the pink or is it red is some real ignorant guy, first off when he heard that we were Nigerians, he came to us telling us that he will get us on tv, he then asked us one dumb question, im talk say how do you say "Lets go Nigeria in Nigerian" as he wanted us to say it during half time, all of us just looked confused, na im I come talk so there are different languages in Nigeria unless you want us to say it it pidgin, im come talk say okay yes say it in pidgin. Before half time, he was listening to the way we spoke, he now asked us where we were from, we said South London, na so the guy energy just change, I think he radioed one of his producers, then he came back to us saying, oh I know how you South london boys act, please dont swear on tv, you will get kicked out bla bla bla. I talk say okay we werent going to swear anyways, anyways sha na so camera come flash untop us during half time, the guy come start the interview. Us thinking he will ask us the question, the guy just fashi us, he was doing all the talking, we didnt even get to say anything, and that was it, baring in mind that everyone else he spoke to, he let the talk, Brazzilians, Australians all of them. Anyways It was not a big deal, it was just funny how he changed his attitude after we told him we were from South London, I mean two of us are graduates and are working full time, the other one just finished College, is working part time teaching mathematics and is going to University, dude just pissed me off for real.
i go try , it was funny though
@Bigpokey abeg NBC no allow UK people watch am, you fit post am or something

[wanaj0]

Only Al Farouq plays in the NBA right now

and 3 of these guys did play in the last Championships and of course in the past we have guys like Ime Udoka.

So ....no the African Championships shouldn't be a problem.....even the team that did play in the Concluded African Championships was good enough to win it, they just had to be better coordinated.

Like Player said...Nigeria is on the up. It really doesn't matter what happens in London, we are going up from now on.

We just hope that we can make it to the next round and see what happens. We are outdoing ourselves....but that is what everyone in the Olympics should be doing.

That is why the likes of Wannaj0 are yarning Opaks. You don't go the Olympics to say, you did what your ranking suggests. You go the Olympics to do everything that you can possibly do plus extra and if you fail...you fail. Olympics is not mathematics. If we did what the likes of Wanaj0 are suggesting and just stay in our zone and not expect anything, we wouldn't have qualified in the first place, how do they think we qualified for the Olympics? By beating Togo?

Let us take the game to Lithuania..

You do those by dismantling the team two weeks to the tournament? By getting players with no passion to wear the national colors? You do your best by rewarding excellence and commitment.

[soothsayer]

Oboy Naija coach na real naija coach o, I swear one time i thought I heard him shout in Yoruba to the players , he was almost going mad, one time he called a time-out and he just said "we must not lose this game, we must not lose this game" he did not even draw any plan, im just give them sound warning like that. I like the guy, the team really respects him and he knows what he is doing. Players that got a dress down from him were Tony Skinn and Derrick Obasohan, one time im just shout untop Obasohan make im commot for court, Obasohan no fit talk

And that black guy behind us in the pink or is it red is some real ignorant guy, first off when he heard that we were Nigerians, he came to us telling us that he will get us on tv, he then asked us one dumb question, im talk say how do you say "Lets go Nigeria in Nigerian" as he wanted us to say it during half time, all of us just looked confused, na im I come talk so there are different languages in Nigeria unless you want us to say it it pidgin, im come talk say okay yes say it in pidgin. Before half time, he was listening to the way we spoke, he now asked us where we were from, we said South London, na so the guy energy just change, I think he radioed one of his producers, then he came back to us saying, oh I know how you South london boys act, please dont swear on tv, you will get kicked out bla bla bla. I talk say okay we werent going to swear anyways, anyways sha na so camera come flash untop us during half time, the guy come start the interview. Us thinking he will ask us the question, the guy just fashi us, he was doing all the talking, we didnt even get to say anything, and that was it, baring in mind that everyone else he spoke to, he let the talk, Brazzilians, Australians all of them. Anyways It was not a big deal, it was just funny how he changed his attitude after we told him we were from South London, I mean two of us are graduates and are working full time, the other one just finished College, is working part time teaching mathematics and is going to University, dude just pissed me off for real.
i go try , it was funny though
@Bigpokey abeg NBC no allow UK people watch am, you fit post am or something

lol , there is some real negative stereotyping of south Londoners and south London, which I personally feel is exaggerated. Sounds like an arrogant , ignorant fool, I would not have let him get away with some of those comments...

[Tbite]

Only Al Farouq plays in the NBA right now

and 3 of these guys did play in the last Championships and of course in the past we have guys like Ime Udoka.

So ....no the African Championships shouldn't be a problem.....even the team that did play in the Concluded African Championships was good enough to win it, they just had to be better coordinated.

Like Player said...Nigeria is on the up. It really doesn't matter what happens in London, we are going up from now on.

We just hope that we can make it to the next round and see what happens. We are outdoing ourselves....but that is what everyone in the Olympics should be doing.

That is why the likes of Wannaj0 are yarning Opaks. You don't go the Olympics to say, you did what your ranking suggests. You go the Olympics to do everything that you can possibly do plus extra and if you fail...you fail. Olympics is not mathematics. If we did what the likes of Wanaj0 are suggesting and just stay in our zone and not expect anything, we wouldn't have qualified in the first place, how do they think we qualified for the Olympics? By beating Togo?

Let us take the game to Lithuania..

You do those by dismantling the team two weeks to the tournament? By getting players with no passion to wear the national colors? You do your best by rewarding excellence and commitment.

You should see how the Australians talk about all their competitors. They always tell them to reach for the sky.

I like Obasohan's attitude. Look it doesn't matter what happens. But let us not tell them...that losing is alright....if they lose...it doesn't mean anything..but let us save all this.....for after the olympics. Right now, they just have to try and win every game.

have all the Australians been getting gold? the answer is no! In fact just as I typed this...one Australian just got Bronze in swimming. But Australians NEVER tell their athletes to get bronze. They only tell them to get Gold. If they get bronze, then fine. They are still happy.

So....if we look at the Tunisian game and criticize..it...it isn't because we are not happy..it is because there is still an opportunity to do more. HECK even the players themselves said they could have done better and they will try to do better.