Ike Nigeria (NGR) - Nigeria v CAF, Afrobasket 2015 , Radès (Tunisia), Group Phase, 19 August 2015
RADES (AfroBasket 2015) - Nigeria's ace Ike Diogu made the final roster for AfroBasket 2015, but a calf injury has sidelined him in the first two games of the 16-team tournament.
However, the 31-year-old forward, who last played in Puerto Rico and performed well enough during Nigeria's preparations in France and Italy, remains upbeat that he could help his team for the remainder of the tournament.
"There is great improvement compared to when it just happened and I am confident that I will be part of the show," he told FIBA.com.
RADES (AfroBasket 2015) - Nigeria's ace Ike Diogu made the final roster for AfroBasket 2015, but a calf injury has sidelined him in the first two games of the 16-team tournament.
However, the 31-year-old forward, who last played in Puerto Rico and performed well enough during Nigeria's preparations in France and Italy, remains upbeat that he could help his team for the remainder of the tournament.
"There is great improvement compared to when it just happened and I am confident that I will be part of the show," he told FIBA.com.
As Nigeria opened their Group A campaign with wins over the Central African Republic (CAF) and Uganda, Diogu, who is currently on crutches, could do nothing but watch from the sidelines.
"I feel pain that I've not been able to get to the court to contribute my quota in my country's quest for our first ever AfroBasket title," he said.
"I take solace that my teammates have been doing a wonderful job off and on the court and this has given me lots of happiness."
Diogu's injury is a major blow for the "D'Tigers", considering his involvement with the team.
A couple of years ago, he had a superb outing, leading all scorers at the AfroBasket in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, even though Nigeria fell in the Quarter-Finals.
At the time he averaged 21.9 points and grabbed 10.3 rebounds per game.
To win their first-ever continental title, Nigeria will definitely need help from a player of his calibre.
Nigeria conclude their Group Phase campaign by taking on tournament hosts Tunisia in Sunday's highly-anticipated game.
The winner of AfroBasket 2015 will qualify directly for the 2016 Rio Games, while the teams that finish second, third and fourth will be invited to participated in FIBA's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQTs).
"I feel pain that I've not been able to get to the court to contribute my quota in my country's quest for our first ever AfroBasket title," he said.
"I take solace that my teammates have been doing a wonderful job off and on the court and this has given me lots of happiness."
Diogu's injury is a major blow for the "D'Tigers", considering his involvement with the team.
A couple of years ago, he had a superb outing, leading all scorers at the AfroBasket in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, even though Nigeria fell in the Quarter-Finals.
At the time he averaged 21.9 points and grabbed 10.3 rebounds per game.
To win their first-ever continental title, Nigeria will definitely need help from a player of his calibre.
Nigeria conclude their Group Phase campaign by taking on tournament hosts Tunisia in Sunday's highly-anticipated game.
The winner of AfroBasket 2015 will qualify directly for the 2016 Rio Games, while the teams that finish second, third and fourth will be invited to participated in FIBA's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQTs).
By: FIBA.com
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